


Our Guardian Angel

by FeralCreature



Series: A Reverie of the Heart’s Fantasy [2]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020), Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XV, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Action/Adventure, Blood and Gore, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Shameless Smut, You Like Pain?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:55:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 47
Words: 364,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22580611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FeralCreature/pseuds/FeralCreature
Summary: Even an angel has her secrets, ones that are dangerous to keep. Ultimately, these ghosts of hers has her destiny intertwined with friends along with some of the world's most dangerous and mischievous men to help her find out the truth that she tried to bury so many times. Will she stay afloat upon lofty white wings? Or will the ones wishing to do her harm ensnare her in their dark grasps?
Relationships: Angeal Hewley/Reader, Aranea Highwind/Reader, Ardyn Izunia/Reader, Cindy Aurum/Reader, Elrena (Kingdom Hearts)/Reader, Genesis Rhapsodos/Reader, Gladiolus Amicitia/Reader, Ienzo (Kingdom Hearts)/Reader, Ignis Scientia/Reader, Isa (Kingdom Hearts)/Reader, Lea (Kingdom Hearts)/Reader, Noctis Lucis Caelum/Reader, Nyx Ulric/Reader, Prompto Argentum/Reader, Ravus Nox Fleuret/Reader, Reno (Compilation of FFVII)/Reader, Roxas (Kingdom Hearts)/Reader, Sephiroth (Compilation of FFVII)/Reader, Terra (Kingdom Hearts)/Reader, Vanitas (Kingdom Hearts)/Reader, Vincent Valentine/Reader, Xehanort (Kingdom Hearts)/Reader, Xemnas (Kingdom Hearts)/Reader, Xigbar (Kingdom Hearts)/Reader, Zack Fair/Reader
Series: A Reverie of the Heart’s Fantasy [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1618693
Comments: 656
Kudos: 263





	1. I

_I’ve been.._

_..having these weird thoughts lately._

_…_

_Like is any of this for real? Or not?_

Through columns of smoke and pillars of fire, a soldier moved quickly across the barren landscape, listening to the orders sent to him from miles away: “More daemons approaching forming at the west, the sun is setting- let’s make this quick!” 

In a flash of blue shards imbued with bright crystalline light, a kukri appeared and sliced through a rampaging daemon that arose from the murky depths that melted into the ground. The black blood that coated the weapon soon dissolved into bits of grainy mist as the weapon’s owner came into view, appearing in an equally flashy fashion. His uniform of black and dark grey was stained with uneven shading of oxidized crimson that also speckled across his fair skin.Grey-blue eyes looked up at the darkening sky that harkened the appearance of more daemons and he let out a silent sound of frustration. 

With each coming year, the daemons seemed to be getting stronger. Ever since that event that took place three years ago.

Meteor. 

A catastrophe that nearly destroyed the planet and every living thing inhabiting it. 

Strangely enough, a few hours after the meteor was seen, it was promptly destroyed. By what? No one really knows, but few had their speculations and seemingly all the presented theories were flawed in some way. 

_“..yx! Nyx!”_ Static erupted from the earpiece in the lone soldier’s ear and he winced at the loud voice at the other end. 

Placing a finger on his earpiece, he responded. “Nyx, reporting. What’s up?”

_“Don’t ‘what’s up’ me! It’s getting heated over here, we need your help!”_ The voice turned into loud static once more and Nyx was tempted to toss out the earpiece altogether. 

“Crowe,” he treaded carefully after she was done speaking, “can you not scream into my ear? Gonna make me burst an eardrum on this mission.”

_“Yeah, yeah, hurry up. Libertus says he misses his boyfriend.”_ In the background, Nyx heard the familiar voice of his best friend pipe up and yell something along the words of ‘gross!’ along with some laughter before the line went dead. Summoning his kukri to hand, he flung it up and disappeared- reappearing when the kukri reached its landing destination. From his new heightened perspective, Nyx brushed back his gray-black hair with a hand and searched the battlefield for his friends. 

Everywhere he looked, there was an endless clash of blue crystal shards and dark miasmic fog. Each blue flash was another of the Kingsglaive using the power of the Crystal granted to each and every one of them by the esteemed King Regis of Lucis. 

Even after the war with the Empire of Niflheim ended, their fight did not. Reports of daemons, other strange creatures of the shadow, and mysterious soldiers with inhumane power have been appearing all around Lucis and the countries beyond the sea. It was a severe problem- and it was only getting worse. 

“Ack!” A pained shout ripped Nyx from his thoughts as his attention was brought down on a figure being onset by daemons. He recognized the large figure as his friend, Libertus, and he groaned. 

“That idiot,” Nyx muttered as he threw his kukri down, the trajectory of his throw cutting the daemon hound’s neck as it landed. Appearing beside his friend, he finished off the other daemons with a swift stab to their weakest points- it being the head and neck. Once they let out a howl of defeat and melted into the darkness that opened up below them, Nyx helped Libertus up. 

“Come on Lib, where’s your fight?” Nyx pushed him lightly on the shoulder with a cocky grin. 

“Shut up,” Lib pushed him back with equal force, his dark brown hair was windswept by the onslaught. “I was just caught off guard.”

“Nyx, Lib!” The two men’s attention was brought to a slim woman with dark brown hair that ran towards them at top notch speeds. Her hair that was usually tied up in a bun was now falling apart and blocked parts of her face with the wayward strands; her Kingsglaive uniform was ripped and Nyx breathed a sigh of relief to see that the skin underneath it wasn’t damaged at all. 

“Crowe!” Lib called out to her. “Weren’t you supposed to leave me to go with the other mages?”

“Change of plans,” she panted. “Captain wants us to pull back.”

Nyx scoffed at this. “Cor wants us to pull back already? It hasn’t even been a full hour from sundown.” They started this mission at 1800 hours, waiting for the daemons to pop up and usually would stay until at least until 2200. But now they were pulling back within just one hour of deployment? Something was up. 

“Follow me,” she motioned for them to catch up to her as soon as she sped off in the direction she came from. “We need to hurry.”

As soon as they all ran across the rocky overpass that bridged the two plateaus together, they saw other Glaives retreating from their positions. That would usually make Nyx feel bothered, he didn’t like the idea of them running from an enemy. But what he saw next was what really made his skin crawl. 

Even with the sun’s orange rays peeking over the horizon, daemons came out in hordes; masses of shadow formed from a plethora of fangs, slitted eyes, and horns chased after the Glaives with ravenous hunger. To be caught up in that storm of scourged creatures would be a Glaive’s worst nightmare. Even if they weren’t hunters, it would still be an unworthy death. It would be similar to a chef slipping and falling on his own knife. 

Nyx, Lib, and Crowe forced their feet to pick up the pace as they stomped on the ground below them, dust forming a cloud at their heels. They needed to hurry, or else they would suffer that horrible fate. 

In front of them, Cor Leonis, Captain of the Kingsglaive and Crownsguard, ushered in everyone to safety. His Glaive uniform was weathered and beaten up, only serving to display the status of his battle prowess to everyone around him and thus only increased the respect he was given. Shortly cropped brown hair that was dusted with fine litterings of silver as well as stern eyes of icy blue finished off his look as a calculating leader. Though the captain was twice as old as them, he moved with such vigor that it was easy to mistake him as one of the younger recruits.

Behind him, a machine attached to one of their carrier vans was powering up. It had a large satellite dish attached to a large box that whirred loudly, it was developed last year in hopes of imitating the power of the Crystal and its ability to create a protective barrier. A gift from the Shinra Power Company and Nyx remembered the day they received it and how he scoffed at it. Shinra was widely known as a self-serving organization- so why the sudden gift of generosity? 

Now that he thought about it, there was a woman who was once part of their SOLDIER program who came to Insomnia three years ago. A little while after she left, meteor had appeared and she was never seen from again. Nyx always wondered where that woman went and his question always went unanswered. 

Cor turned to give orders at the Glaive who was operating it and immediately a forcefield of energy formed around it and slowly expanded outwards like a bubble. 

“Is this as fast as it goes?” Cor said, his voice unnervingly calm. 

“If it goes any faster, the internal core will overheat, sir.”

“That’s unfortunate,” the captain muttered and turned his eyes to the large mob of daemons. His options were running out the closer they were getting. What could he do in the face of literal danger?

Before the machine formed the full barrier, a sudden flash caught Cor’s eye and he turned to his left to see a figure clad in white. Silver armor wrapped around their body that shone brilliantly even in the absence of any light; chainmail wrapped around their neck and gave support to the bodice of precious metal that protected their chest; their shoulders were exposed and their gauntlets of silver rose to their upper arms where it was attached to white gossamer fabric that flowed down to wrap around their wrists. The whole portion of their thighs were exposed in between the armored corset and the plated sabaton that rose up around their knees, strapped in with chains of light silver. 

Upon closer inspection, it was obvious that the figure underneath the armor was clearly female. Her head was concealed by a horned helmet and did a good job at hiding any parts of their face that could help identify who they were. 

Though he did not know who she was, it was clear that she didn’t belong to a soldier of their ranks and before Cor could ask the mystery woman to identify herself, she walked past him, then Nyx, then Crowe, then Lib- and approached the battlefield with a leisurely stroll. 

Nyx was equally as confused as he turned to Cor. ”Is that supposed to be backup?” He asked him and the captain merely shook his head. 

As the last of the Glaives arrived at their rendezvous point with the daemons closing in right behind. The machine barely had the barrier large enough to accommodate all of the available soldiers and so the woman raised her hand high above her head; a large orb of light appeared in her palm and expanded outwards until it met the surface of their own imitated wall. Clashing together, it housed all of them safely from the daemon’s wrath, excluding her. 

A halo of light formed around her as a sword appeared in her hand, in similar fashion to how the Kingsglaive summon their weapons. Her sword was equally ethereal as her armor, with a soft glow emanating from the metal, like the material was mined from the surface of the moon. Pillars of bright light shot forth from the ground and into the hordes of daemons, effectively disintegrating them on the spot when their miasmic bodies came into contact with the pillars. 

Those present had to cover their eyes or shut it completely, as the brilliance completely encompassed their field of vision- threatening to blind them if they did not look away. When the harsh light died down, soft moonlight took its place as the sun set completely over the horizon and left the moon in the sky. 

Nyx saw that the daemons were now gone and so was the protective barrier they had around them had dissipated. The only thing left was the armor-clad woman who just appeared. She was their saving grace it seemed, a sort of guardian angel. 

As soon as that thought left his mind, the woman in front of them turned to glance at the rest of the weary Glaives. From behind her back, a set of large white wings unraveled. Bowing her head slightly at them, her wings flapped once, sending a gust of heady wind as they carried her off into the sky with the soft moonlight illuminating her diminishing figure. 

No one knew what they just saw. But they could only assume what they witnessed was a being that teetered on the precipice between god and man. 

*******

Adjusting the pink bow that was the only thing keeping her long brown hair back, the girl frowned as she tried to brush the bangs from her face. Looking at the mirror, she pouted then smiled then sighed. Stepping back from her vanity, she picked up a wicker basket that was lovingly used as evidence of the wear and tear that now covered it. Carrying it in one hand, she bounded down the stairs and cringed when she landed a bit too loudly on the last step. 

“Aerith?” An older woman with light brown hair tied into a neat bun looked out from the wall shielding the stairs from the kitchen. When the woman saw her, she gave her a knowing look. “Please don’t do that, the house is old enough as it is.”

“Then why don’t we move?” Aerith had a skip to her step when she approached the woman, her bright green eyes shining with mischief. “Just kidding mom, don’t give me that look.” 

“You heading out?” Her mom’s brows were knitted together in worry. 

“Yep,” Aerith nodded. “Going to Sector 7 to see Cloud and Tifa again. I’ll be back before dark, don’t worry!”

“I know,” the woman sighed. “Just be careful, you know the monsters are getting more and more dangerous every year.”

Aerith only gave her a smile before heading out the door and down the path towards the Sectors. That woman that she called mom, Elmyra Gainsborough.. She wasn’t really her mom, just a woman who adopted her into her home long, long ago. Elmyra told her that her real mom handed her off just before she expired at the train station. The consequences of her real mother’s death were shady to say the least, but Aerith kept forcing herself to look to the future- it was best to enjoy the here and now, after all and she was grateful that her biological father was still alive. 

Stopping at the crossroads leading to Sector 7 from Sector 6, she inhaled the all too familiar scent of rusted metal and rotting garbage that made its home here. No one would make the effort to clean up here- and why would they? No one cared about the slums. 

Straying from her predetermined path, she headed towards Sector 5 instead, to her most beloved hangout. The smell of the metallic city soon faded when Aerith saw the tall spire that proudly displayed the roof of Sector 5’s church. Although abandoned, she found it to be very hospitable. 

Stepping through the door, Aerith froze when the usually empty church contained someone else. It wasn’t Cloud, nor Tifa. It wasn’t even her father. It was someone dressed in strange silver armor. 

The figure was knelt in front of the flowers, a gauntlet covered hand caressing the blooming yellow petals with such tenderness that it made Aerith relax. This person didn’t seem like a threat, despite the way they were dressed for war. 

Aerith walked towards them, seeing more of the feminine dress and shape of the person. “Hellooo? Are you okay?”

The figure immediately got up, facing her and stepping back from the makeshift garden that made its home in the wrecked portion of the church’s wooden floor. The armored figure’s movements were like water, graceful and serene, it led Aerith to further believe that this person truly didn’t mean any harm. 

When the armored figure stood there, not moving nor speaking, Aerith cleared her throat and gestured to the yellow and white flowers dotting the dirt. “You like them? It’s probably the only place in Midgar that grows flowers.”

“...Midgar?” A woman’s voice came from the helmet that covered her head, though muffled, she could still be heard. 

“Yep, you know.. Midgar- biggest supplier of mako energy? Well, that was a few years ago, now apparently they’re doing other things to help the planet,” Aerith scoffed with a tiny roll of her eyes. Tilting her head and leaning forward, she looked at the woman in front of her. “You don’t look like you’re from here, are you?”

“...I don’t have a home.”

This caught Aerith off guard. What kind of response was that? And how could she even possibly respond to it? “What about friends? Family?”

“...No one.” 

The armored woman then mumbled something else incoherently and Aerith frowned.

“You know.. I could probably understand you better if you took off that helmet.”

The armored woman hesitated. “I can’t.”

“Why not?” 

“I’m.. not allowed.”

Aerith inhaled slowly and upon exhale, she put up her friendliest smile. “Well, who’s not allowing you? They’re not here right?” 

“No. Not right now.”

“Then, why don’t you take it off? No one’s here to stop you. It’s not like that person is a god or whatever, y’know?” 

After a couple minutes of silence, the woman’s hands moved up and slowly removed her helmet. Once her helmet was off, Aerith saw her eyes and let out a small gasp. They were glowing. 

“Your eyes..” Aerith murmured. “They’re.. mako eyes, aren’t they?” She leaned forward closer to look at the woman. Her face was pretty and Aerith wondered why she would want to conceal it with such a garrish helmet. But then, she remembered the armored woman’s words. It wasn’t by choice that she was wearing that helmet, it was because someone else was forcing her to. 

The armored woman’s eyes were indeed glowing, but Aerith saw that they were slightly glazed over- like a gem that has lost its luster. Eyes that were without life.

“Your eyes are exactly like Zack’s,” she said softly and at the mention of that name, she swore she could see the woman’s eyes light up slightly with recognition- unless that was just her imagination. “Mako eyes are the trademark of someone who was part of SOLDIER.”

“...SOLDIER..?” The woman repeated absentmindedly, tasting the word on her tongue. 

“Yes,” Aerith saw more of that recognition light up her dull eyes. “Zack Fair, do you know him? He was in SOLDIER, and his friends were too- Sephiroth, Angeal, and Genesis. The four of them were all in 1st Class and are pretty close, actually, Zack is visiting them on their apple farm in Banora. Do you want to go see if you know them?” 

“Zack.. Sephiroth.. Angeal.. Genesis..” The more the armored woman repeated their names, the more her eyes slowly lit up until Aerith finally saw life being breathed into them, but then-

The woman dropped to her knees immediately, her armor clanking loudly against the wood. Her hands were clasping her head tightly as if trying to keep it from being torn apart. She let out a pained groan as she leaned forward and rocked herself all the while having her face contorted in violent discomfort. 

Aerith dropped down beside her and put her hands on her shoulders. “What’s wrong?! Tell me what I should do to help!”

“You.. can’t..” the woman choked out and a bright light erupted from the center of her chest. 

Stepping back, Aerith used a hand to try and block out the light. But it was so intense that she finally had to look away as she squeezed her eyes shut tightly. A gust of wind sent chills up her arms and the light finally died down. Bringing her hand down, she turned back to see the armored woman was gone. 

Floating down from the gaping hole of the church’s roof, she saw a swirl of pristine white feathers fall onto the ground. Taking one in both hands, she examined it with puzzled curiosity. It was soft to the touch. Gazing back up at the hole that led to the sky, she pinched her arm with enough force to make sure that she wasn’t still at home dreaming. 

Who was that woman? Why did she have such a sad look in her eyes?

Aerith looked down at the feather in her hands. “Was it an angel?”


	2. II

**“Lady of the Lifestream: A New Hope?”**

Those words were printed out in bold, black print alongside a blurred picture of a feminine figure donning silver armor. Her face couldn’t be discerned under the photo’s poor quality, but one could see the distinct wings that protruded from the woman’s back. With an inaudible tut of his lips and a pronounced flick of his wrist, the man with chin-length white hair tossed the newspaper article to the side. 

His heterochromic eyes, one periwinkle blue and the other a soft lavender, glared again the headlines even after he discarded it. Although the article seemed like a headline thought up from the fleeting daydreams of the common men- the white-haired man couldn’t help but have it occupy his head. 

It was true that the many terrors of the night were gaining considerable strength every year, and many looked to those containing the blood of the Oracle for answers. Even for one belonging to the enlightened bloodline as he, the white-haired man could often do naught in terms of the fate of the world and thus all that responsibility was deposited on his little sister: Lunafreya Nox Fleuret.

The double white doors of his office burst open and in came a man panting heavily. “Lord Ravus,” he breathed out, “there- there’s a woman on the manor grounds.”

Ravus looked up, his stern look freezing the man in his place. “Kindly tell the guest to leave then.”

“Sir,” the man straightened up. “You have to see it for yourself, I insist. She crashed into Lady Lunafreya’s gardens.” 

This gave the lord pause. “What do you mean ‘crash’?” 

*******

Following the trail of damaged sylleblossoms, he walked through the expansive garden fixed atop a flat surface overlooking the lands beyond Tenebrae; Ravus saw that the usual indigo petals of the affected flowers have been crushed and stained the dirt with its dye. This was unforgivable. Who would dare tread on hallowed grounds such as this? This garden has been tended to by Oracles since centuries past- who would be foolish enough to desecrate them?

Ravus stopped when he saw a woman draped in white laying amongst the trodden flowers. The crash site seemed bigger than her, what with the way some of the blossoms were windblown- all of them facing away from the woman. Rocks and dirt were blown clean off the area she laid on and even left a small indentation. 

The gardener was right, it seemed like she crashed there. 

“Lord Ravus, what do we do?” The gardener stood beside him as he contemplated. 

The woman was unconscious, and rightly so. Her fall seemed to be from somewhere high up, but what struck Ravus as odd was how none of her injuries reflected that. A few cuts and bruises were present on her skin, though there were no signs of dislocated joints or broken bones that needed immediate attention. Her eyes were closed and seemed to be enjoying a nap whilst entangled in Lunafreya’s garden. Ravus sighed. It seemed he had no other choice. Despite his severely stern exterior, he wasn’t completely without a heart. 

“Let the keepers in the house know to vacate a room. I’ll bring our ‘guest’ there,” Ravus told the gardener and he watched the man run through the grounds with practiced steps, carefully avoiding crushing any more of the flowers. Turning back to the woman, he knelt down and gathered her in his arms. Her head rolled against his upper arm as he got back up and he tensed up slightly, a part of him hoping that she would wake up so that she may walk on her own. 

Alas, she did not and he continued to carry her back to the manor. 

When he got to the front of Fenestala Manor, Luna was already there waiting. Her pale blonde hair catching the sun’s rays and turning it almost white like his. Curious, light blue eyes peered at the woman in his arms as she walked down the steps towards him. “Ravus, who’s this?”

“I’m not sure,” Ravus responded. “The gardener found her wasting away amidst the sylleblossoms.”

The smile on Luna’s face was light, deeply contrasting against her brother’s dry expression. “We aim to help her, don’t we?”

“Don’t think me so cold as to leave a woman lying in the dirt,” Ravus wanted to scoff but maintained his discretion. He could never do that to her. “My arms grow tired, I need to get her to a room so that she may rest.” He adjusted his grip on the woman and Luna moved aside then followed him in. 

“Shouldn’t you be paying a visit to the Altissian counsel today?” He asked her as they ascended the spiral staircase to the upper floors. 

“Yes,” Luna paused for a moment, “but I was told to delay my visit.” 

“By whom?”

“Gentiana, she said I would be needed here.” 

Ravus wanted to tighten his fist but that would mean possibly hurting the woman he was carrying. Gentiana. That mysterious woman, draped in all regal black clothes- the Messenger of the gods. He would only catch glimpses of her sometimes, most of the time she would only reveal herself to Luna but there were rare moments that the Messenger exchanged words with him. 

It was an honor, true, but that meant that the gods directly relied on Luna to do their bidding and thus binding her to a life and death of servitude towards a higher power. The thought of it all.. it made Ravus scorn the Six.

But he would never dare to say that out loud. 

Traversing the long white marble hallways, he stopped at a room that was wide open- a sign from the servants to let them know that it was vacant and ready to use. 

Ravus didn’t waste time spanning the room with wide steps and carefully placing the woman down on the sheets. He took a moment to look at her face and was surprised that his movements didn’t jolt her awake. 

“Brother,” Luna stepped beside him. “You don’t think that I was told to stay on account of her?” Her eyes gazed down on the unconscious lady. 

This time Ravus let out a small scoff. “Preposterous, she’s just a woman who had the misfortune of falling into your garden.” 

“The circumstances are odd, don’t you agree?”

He did agree but he didn’t voice that opinion aloud. Unfortunately, Luna already read him like a book and she smiled. “I’ll watch over her, you can go back to work in your office.” 

Nodding, Ravus moved to exit the room but stopped at the door and turned his head over his shoulder. “Don’t waste your power on this woman, she seems to have no major injuries.” When Luna silently nodded at his request, he resumed his exit. 

She then waited until she heard her brother’s heavy footsteps fade into the distance before pulling up a chair beside the bed to take a seat. She took a moment to examine the woman, noting her features on her peaceful face. There was nothing out of the ordinary on her, except for what she saw next. 

Her brows furrowed when she saw a deep blue sigil embedded onto her chest, directly over where her heart was. The sigil had a sword pointed downwards with two triangles overlapping as they faced each other. It seemed like it was a tattoo of some sort, but Luna sensed some type of magic emanating from the symbol although that feeling faded after a couple minutes. 

Getting up, Luna headed over to one of the bookshelves to grab some material to distract herself with whilst waiting for their guest to awaken. When she found a suitable book and took a seat on the chair; opening the leather bound novel, she heard the pages rustle as well as the sheets move about. Looking up, she saw the woman was now sitting up yet her eyes remained closed. After a few moments, the woman blinked to slowly let the light in within her eyes then shifted to Luna’s direction when she sensed her presence.

Luna sat up straighter and set the book down on her lap. “Hello, how are you feeling? My brother says you took quite a fall.” Another slow blink as the woman looked at Luna, after a few more moments of silence she chanced another question- although she felt like she would not be receiving another answer. “Who are you?”

This time she was given an answer as the woman in white merely shook her head with a dull glaze covering her eyes. 

**[It took days for Lunafreya to get any kind of response from the woman. The most she ever got was a small nod or a blank stare, until…]**

The Oracle assumed she was suffering some sort of concussion or was still recovering through whatever traumatic event had left her and so she tried her best to work around the confusing circumstances. But Lunafreya never lost her patience, and did her utmost to try and care for her. 

On another lovely sunny day in Tenebrae, while Luna was reading books about other continents to try and see if any of them sounded familiar to the woman, the both of them heard a small bark at the door. 

Luna turned around and saw a fluffy black shape standing in the doorway, patiently wagging its tail for permission. Holding out a hand, she motioned for the creature to come in. “Hello Umbra, did you bring me back a message?”

With a hearty bark and another wag of its tail, the canine trotted in. His nails scraped against the marble floor as he rounded Luna’s legs before sitting down obediently in front of her. His black coat stood out against the white sheets of the bed behind him and his light yellow eyes shone happily upon seeing the Oracle once more. The dog’s tail stopped wagging when he glanced behind him at the lady sitting in bed, his ears perked up all the way and he tilted his head in curiosity. 

“Umbra?” Luna called out to him and the dog turned his attention back to her with a bark. On him were two crossing straps that held a notebook tightly against the fur of his backside which Luna slipped out with ease. She took a moment to grasp the notebook with both hands before holding it to her chest tightly and the woman in bed saw how her face lit up even more as she opened it to read. 

When Luna felt the woman’s eyes studying her carefully, she glanced up at her with a bright smile. “This is a book I share with someone I cherish. It’s.. difficult to see him at times, so I’m afraid this is the best way to contact him.” Luna expected no answer and so she continued explaining, because she had a feeling the woman was listening even if she never replied. “His name is Noctis, we met as children.. He is the next in line for the throne in the Kingdom of Lucis, across the seas.” 

In the woman’s eyes, Luna saw a flash of recognition and a light that she’d never seen. Then, much to her surprise, the woman spoke.

“Noc..tis..?”

Luna leaned forward on her seat, this was the first word the woman had said in days. Perhaps she came from Lucian lands?

“Yes! Noctis Lucis Caelum, do you know him by chance?” 

“Noctis.. Noct..” The woman murmured quietly then closed her eyes as the sigil between her breasts began to glow slightly before dying down. Opening them, they contained that pallid glaze once more and she turned to look at Luna. “No. That name means nothing to me.”

“Oh,” Luna leaned back in her seat, perhaps it was just a mistake after all. Looking to the notebook in her hand, she sighed and opened to the latest page that had writing on it. On the gilded pages were scrawled handwriting that definitely belonged to Noctis. 

It read: Sorry. Been busy here. Don’t worry about me, I’m fine. Don’t overwork yourself. 

Although it wasn’t as much as she’d hoped, Luna still treasured the words he managed to write down. Noct wasn’t much of a talker anyways, he was even less of a conversationalist in person. Nevertheless, Luna reached for a pen on the nightstand table and began writing her response. After a few flicks of her wrist, graceful script appeared on the pages: 

It brings me joy to know you’re well. I had to delay my visit to Altissia, but I hope to see you soon one day. Send your father my regards. 

Closing the notebook, Luna set it down on her lap as Umbra waited patiently for her to place it into the wrappings in his back so that he may deliver it. A melancholic look crossed her fair face and Umbra let out a whimper. Reaching down, she scratched Umbra’s head as the woman watched. 

“Why do you look so sad?” The woman in white asked Luna. 

The Oracle was pleased that the woman was talking much more than she had before, but she had yet to find out what caused this. “It’s nothing,” Luna had her practiced smile on her lips. 

“Liar.” The woman maintained her unwavering gaze on the blonde. “You said you share that book with someone you cherish, so why does it make you so sad?”

“I..” Luna held the notebook to her chest. She felt scrutinized under the woman’s stare, but at the same time she felt that it was benevolence as opposed to malevolent intentions. She supposed that she had nothing else to lose and that there would be no harm in telling her. “I wish to be at Noctis’ side. To laugh and to talk with him as we did when we were children.” 

“Why don’t you?”

Lady Lunafreya wasn’t used to spilling her feelings out as much as she was right now, only Gentiana ever got to see her at her lowest points. “It’s difficult to travel these days. And even if I could,” Luna’s pale blue eyes gazed beyond the bed to the tall windows draped with billowing white curtains, “I don’t think I could have that.”

“Why?”

The blonde’s eyes remained transfixed on the rolling clouds in the distance. “Because his heart belongs to someone else.”

“To who?”

Luna looked back at the woman with a light smile. “He never told me her name. Nor does he mention her often.” She opened the book, flipping to a page, then showing it to the woman. “He always seems so sad talking about it, so I take care not to pry.” 

On the page that Luna showed her, the woman saw a pressed flower taped to the page. It’s pointed petals were dehydrated but she could still see a glowing white luster come off of it like a dying star. 

“I believe he told me these were called alstroemerias.” She said as the woman reached over to take the book slowly from her. 

Taking a finger to caress the dried flower, the woman’s eyes became cloudy as screams filled her head. Echoing from somewhere far, far away. 

_“-ompto!!!!”_

Rain. Dark clouds. Blood… That blood wasn’t hers, wasn’t it. Whose was it then?

_“Take the shot now!!!”_

Who’s trying to shoot?

_“Please, while I still have control- agh!!_

Control?

_“Prompto… Please-!!!!”_

Prompto..? Who is that?

A gunshot sounded off in her head and she flinched, dropping the notebook softly on top of the sheets; her hand falling to her lower abdomen as she looked down, expecting to see blood blossoming through her frail dress.

“Are you okay?” Luna leaned forward with worry. 

The woman could barely hear her voice over the shouting in her head, her eyes transfixed on that white flower fixed to the page. She remembered a whole garden filled with them, and that garden was placed somewhere high up. On top of a mountain maybe? Why was it there?

_“I’m sorry.”_ She looked at her hand and held it open as if she was holding something. In her mind, she could see faces, so many faces looking down at her. They looked so sad- why? Why were they crying? A boy with spiky blond hair was sitting close to her, his eyes overflowing with tears that dripped from his blue eyes. 

_“I just… wanted to spend more time.. with all of you.”_

A tear slipped from the woman’s eyes and stained the page right below the stalk of the flower. Her heart felt rendered down and she placed a hand over it. Why was she hurting? Who were those people? 

_Were they someone precious to me?_ She thought as more tears slipped from her eyes. Her hands fell into her lap and Luna saw a distinct glow coming from the sigil between her breasts. The blonde’s instinct earlier was right- she did sense magic at work here. 

Glowing brightly, the sigil soon died down as the woman’s tears stopped falling. When her eyes dried and her face returned to their emotionless state, the woman sat back straight with a slow blink. 

“Are you sure,” Luna whispered, fearful that the gods themselves might hear, “that the name Noctis means nothing to you?”

The woman replied without looking, her voice monotone and flat. “I’m sure. Noctis means nothing to me.”

*******

Soon after that incident, the woman always asked Luna for permission to roam on manor grounds. Luna found this request to be silly, seeing as how this woman who seemed to be about her age, asking for permission like a mere child. It struck her as odd and the sigil on that woman’s chest still bothered her, so she went to Fenestala Manor’s library to investigate. 

A book titled ‘The Astrals’ and Their Markings’ soon found itself into her hands as she began flipping through it. Pictures of countless depictions of the Six decorated each page, all of them familiar of course, to the Oracle. It didn’t take long for her to find the sigil that bore resemblance to the one the woman had on her- a blade atop two overlapping triangles. 

Though there were no open windows or drafts in the room currently, cool wind rushed over Luna’s arms and she shivered slightly. She knew what came next after such a sensation was felt. “Our lady,” came the soothing voice, “she does not know what she is delving into.” 

“Gentiana,” Luna turned around to see the Messenger in all of her enigmatic splendor. Her eyes, usually closed, were now wide open and gazed at the Oracle with apprehension. Black hair swept far below her shoulders over the black dress that molded her figure with her hands folded in front of her. 

Her deep green eyes gazed at the blonde and came forward. “The Oracle need not investigate these matters.” 

“But,” Luna set the book down with the pages open to the sigil. On top of the drawn mark were the words: Sigil of the Bladekeeper. “Why does this woman have the Draconian’s mark?”

Gentiana was silent, her eyes ever open. “The Oracle’s duty is to stand with the Light, ever at her King’s side. This matter should not concern her.” 

Something was off. The Messenger was purposely trying to keep Luna away from this; it should be normal behavior for her in fact, seeing as how Gentiana never took interest in other matters that didn’t involve those of the Lucian or the Oracle’s bloodline. But.. it seemed as if Gentiana’s words had a warning mixed in between them. 

“Would _he_ be upset if I were to push this matter further?” Luna was careful with her words, enunciating ‘he’ to make sure Gentiana knew just who she was referring to. 

“Quite so,” the Messenger replied. 

“But,” Luna thought back to how the woman stared at that dried alstroemeria with building tears. “Her eyes lit up at the mention of Noctis’ name, even for a little bit. Is there nothing I can do to aid her?” 

A small smile graced Gentiana’s face. “The Oracle’s kindness shows no limit. If she truly wishes to help, let it be known that any who defy the Bladekeeper’s laws suffer a fate worse than death.” She stepped forward, “As such, the woman in white at first defied her orders, and thus the Bladekeeper stripped her of her memories. This was her punishment, to live everlasting as the Draconian’s weapon. To purge darkness until her body is no more.” 

Pausing, Gentiana closed her eyes. “Apologies, the Messenger has said too much and can say no more.”

*******

Ravus walked down the long hall, his boots padding as quietly as he allowed along the marble tile. Each passing window showered him in soft moonlight that reflected against the white strands of his hair; every star that shone down from the sky made him blink in indifference. Though the celestial bodies came out in full bloom tonight, Ravus Nox Fleuret paid them no mind. 

Thoughts of the day plagued his head. The Empire has lost its teeth since the last unsuccessful attempt at capturing Insomnia. They had multiple MT’s destroyed in battle and even lost General Glauca, but not much else was divulged in the reports. Even to the Emperor, he did not know the true events of what happened within Lucian walls on that day. Only the Chancellor did. 

The Empire stayed mostly within Gralea, still milling about as if they possessed their military prowess of old- but now it was mostly a shell of a machine. Even still, Ravus had to prove his loyalty. And that’s why-

He lifted his left hand to his left eye. 

-he allowed them to implant MT-infused technology into him. It made him stronger, yes, but it disgusted him how he felt less of a man and more of a puppet on strings… But none of that mattered in the long run, all he did, all he was doing- was for his sister. To see to it that she was safe from the Empire’s clutches no matter what. He didn’t care what happened to him as long as Lunafreya could live freely. 

Ravus stopped when he saw a silhouette within a short distance of him. Looking closer, he saw that it was the woman he brought to the manor a couple days ago. He hadn’t bothered checking up on her since he left her with Luna, but it seemed she was walking around now. He supposed that was a good sign. 

Walking closer to her, the woman looked back when she heard his footsteps. She blinked at him a couple times until he cleared his throat and spoke. “Are you lost?” 

The woman blinked again and looked down the hallway behind him before she turned her attention back on him, her eyes meeting his. Ravus waited a couple more seconds for a reply and when she did not reply, he walked past her. He had no time to hold the hands of a muted child. 

Casting a glance at her over his shoulder, he saw that she was standing there and watching him go; turning his head towards the front, he continued on until he felt something tug gently at his coat. Turning back, he was surprised to see her right behind him with her fingers timidly grasping a part of his coat’s white fabric. How did she move so fast without him noticing?

“Lord Ravus,” she said, her voice steady and plain. “Can you help me find my room?”

He was still contemplating at how silently she moved until he forced himself to speak. “Come along then,” he pulled away from her grasp. “And do not fall behind.”

Together, the two of them walked and he noticed how well she kept up with him despite his quickened pace. When he glanced down at her feet and saw that she was barefoot, he slowed down a bit to try and lessen the toil the hard floor might have on her bare soles. 

When they passed a ledge with a balcony, Ravus heard the footsteps following him stop and he turned around to see the woman standing by the stone rail guarding the balcony. She was on her tiptoes to try and see more of the view with her white dress flowing behind her like a petal of a flower being blown away. He approached her again, ready to apprehend her when he at last saw what she was looking at. 

Beyond the balcony was a large field that was mostly isolated from the other plateaus, the very field that he found her in. Tenebrae always appeared as if it existed in another plane; its rock formations that formed the foundations of their city and manor looked as if it was floating in mid-air, but really it’s thin stands were covered in lush foliage that masked the stony supports as well as the endless stream of clouds that floated between. Long bridges spanned in between the plateaus, with green vines wrapping around its white spiraled columns that reached high into the sky. 

Tenebrae was truly a domain housing those with the blood of the first Oracle. 

After a cloud passed over the field they looked at, the moon soon shone through and they both saw how the sylleblossoms lavished in the lunar light. Ravus took a moment to examine the woman, seeing her stand attentively to watch the stream of stars in the sky. Her hair reached down below her waist, the majority of it was white and he assumed the portion at the top of her head was her natural hair color. This struck him as odd- but he assumed that if he were to ask about her hair, she would be just as confused as he.

“It’s pretty,” she said while still looking at the landscape. White clouds softly kissed the land and treated the flowers with light drops of condensation before dispersing completely. 

Ravus let himself stand there and look at the land. The woman was right. It was pretty. He never had the time to truly admire how beautiful his home was- not since the Empire came on that fateful day, razing everything to the ground and destroying the image he once had of his land. It was better now, at least.. that’s what he told himself. 

“Thank you for showing me this,” she spoke again, turning her eyes to him with genuine gratitude. 

He thought this odd. He never showed her this- she stopped by herself. Not knowing what else to say, he remained silent but a part of him was thankful for seeing the sight he just saw. His homeland drenched in peaceful moonlight. 

Ravus took a step back, getting ready to tell her that they needed to get her back to her room post-haste. He turned away to look back at the hallway and made ready to call her but stopped when he saw her shadow. 

With the moon so high up in the sky, he saw her shadow very clearly. But that wasn’t what gave him pause. It was the silhouette of wings that rose above her frame that made him look back at her quickly. 

And when he saw that she did not have feathery protrusions poking from her back, he frowned. 

Remembering the article he read that morning, he let the words slip before he could stop himself. “Lady of the Lifestream..” 

The woman turned back and met his gaze with her head cocking to the side. “...Lady?” She repeated after him, her eyes shimmering. 

He shook his head. “Never you mind, we must get you to your room, otherwise you’ll catch a cold.”

Nodding, she followed him obediently to continue back to her room. Once they reached her doors, Ravus motioned for her to go inside and so she did. Opening one side of the double doors and holding herself against it as she watched him. 

“Thank you, Lord Ravus,” she said with a small smile.

“Formalities aren’t necessary,” he replied and when he saw her blink as if she was being reprimanded for doing something wrong, he continued. “You’re a stranger to these lands, I don’t expect you to follow customs. Besides, he hated the sound of the title right next to his name. It was ill suited for a traitor like him. 

“Ravus,” she repeated again without said formalities. 

He nodded and after bidding her good night, he turned around only to feel that familiar tugging sensation at his coat. Looking back, he saw that she was holding him back again. “Ravus,” she said again. “Why do you look so sad?”

This caught him off guard. How did he look sad?

“You and Lady Lunafreya. You both share the same look. Like you both want to say something, but you won’t allow yourselves.” She stepped past the room’s threshold, closing the distance between them until her chest was mere inches from his. 

Looking down briefly, he saw the sigil resting on her chest and his eyes snapped up to meet hers. “You know not of what you speak,” his voice hissed lowly, a little more antagonistic than he cared to show. 

“I do,” she paid no attention to his hostility and placed a light hand on his chest, directly over his heart. “Your duties bound you to this fate, of keeping your words silent and your head held up high even if the world around you falls.” She looked up at him with empathetic eyes. 

Ravus grabbed her arm by the wrist and pushed it gently from him. “Don’t talk of duty and fate as if you know what those words are. Your own name eludes you.” 

His own biting tongue shocked him and he wanted to apologize immediately, letting her hand down and watching her look away from him. 

“I’m sorry,” she said, bowing her head before she stepped back inside her room. “Goodnight, Ravus.” 

She soon closed the door on him and left him standing alone in the hallway. 

A part of him cursed himself at his tactless behavior, and the other part could care less. His head was filled with thoughts of the Empire’s grand plans that he didn’t fully endorse, as well as plans to keep Lunafreya as far as possible from their machinations all the while playing his role as a loyal commander. It was.. difficult, to say the very least. 

Ravus stopped and looked back at the closed door to the woman’s room. Maybe he was too rash and should apologize tomorrow. Lunafreya would be disappointed in his behavior if she saw how he spoke to their guest.

… 

Yes, perhaps tomorrow. 

*******

The woman sat upright in her bed, she couldn’t sleep as she was constantly plagued with dreams that made no sense to her. Faces that she didn’t know, names that she couldn’t remember, memories that didn’t seem to belong to her as she had no recollection of experiencing them. 

When her door opened and shut, she looked to see who would be coming to her at such a late hour but saw that the door remained closed. That was odd. She swore she could’ve heard it open.

A rush of cold wind spread to her arms and she shivered, bringing up her sheets closer to her body. 

“Hello, my angel,” a lavish voice spoke to her from the darkness and she turned towards its direction. 

That voice sounded rich and deep, garnished with sweet honey that belied a more toxic substance underneath. It sounded familiar, and yet, when she looked at the man who stepped out of the shadows of her room- she didn’t know who he was. 

Deep merlot colored hair fell in tousled waves just beneath his stubbled chin. His eyes were the color of lavish golden-amber, suiting his handsome face rather well. His body was covered with dark clothes that hid almost every inch of his olive-toned skin, as if to protect his flesh from the suns woeful throes. 

His steps echoed in the room as he approached her. Closer and closer. Until she could see how deep of a color his eyes were. 

A hand reached forward and grasped her face with a tender touch and he sat on the side of the bed, the mattress dipping underneath his weight. Together, a woman in white and a man in black sat there, beholding each other as if they were estranged lovers that met for the first time in a very, very long while. 

“Who are you?” She asked him and he grinned at the question with his hand caressing her cheek. 

“My _lady_ , do you truly not remember?” His thumb ran over her bottom lip and his eyes trailed down the front of her dress to the dip of her cleavage until he saw the sigil decorating her skin. Narrowing his eyes, his hand dropped until his finger traced the outline of the blade. “I suppose you don’t. How unfortunate.”

“In that case,” he stood up and held his hand out to her to which she slowly took, “allow me to remind you, my dear.”

*******

When Lady Luna and Lord Ravus awoke the next morning, they both found their guest had disappeared. Leaving not even a single trace as to the whereabouts of her location.


	3. III

“Is this the last of them?” A young man with spiked black hair swept back puffed his cheeks as he exhaled, carrying the last of the crates onto a loading truck. “You guys got a good harvest this month.”

“Yep,” another man with straight black hair cut off at his chin stood next to him, clapping him on the shoulder. “Thanks, Zack.”

“Heh, you gettin’ old Angeal?” Zack grinned at his previous mentor and the older man scoffed. 

“Still got that insubordinate mouth, I see.” Angeal began walking back towards the large two-story house they gathered the crates from. Stopping, he turned back to look at Zack. “I’m not _that_ old. I’m only twenty-six. You look like you aged more than me.”

“Psh,” Zack crossed his arms behind his head. “I’m twenty-two! That is _not_ old.”

Angeal smirked. “Why so defensive? Is that girl Aerith not into older men?”

Zack flinched and pouted his lips. “Ugh, no…” his clear blue eyes stared up towards the sky. “She’s into Cloud. Both her _and_ Tifa also that girl Yuffie I think! Boy.. Cloud’s a lucky guy.”

“I thought you said Yuffie liked Vincent, now she likes Cloud?”

“I dunno man, she’s a weird girl. Maybe she got tired of Vincent never giving her the time of day, not like he does it with anyone else anyways. Between you and me though? I think Cloud’s too dense to pick up on the fact that anyone likes him.”

“Hmph, speak of the devil.”

“Zack, are we leaving now?” A man with spiky blond hair strode you towards the both of them, his large blue eyes regarding the two bikes they would take to the journey to Midgar. “It’s gonna be a long ride back home.”

Zack looked up at the sun, it was in the middle of the sky and he knew it was only hours till it would dive back into the horizon and night would fall on them. Night + open roads = danger. 

The delivery trucks would go on ahead since they were slower with the carried produce, and they would follow shortly to make sure the trucks wouldn’t break down.

“Alrighty let’s get a move on then,” Zack stood up and swung his leg over the motorbike he was leaning on but stopped to look at his side. “Hey Angeal, how are Seph and Gen? Didn’t see them today.”

“They’re fine.” Angeal gave him a half-hearted smile. “Don’t worry about us Zack, we can handle ourselves.” 

Zack gave him an unconvinced look before finally relenting. “Fine fine, be that way. We’ll head back, stay in touch okay?” Turning to the blond that pulled up his bike beside him, he grinned. “Let’s get a move on, Cloud!”

With one last wave to his old mentor, the two friends revved up their bikes and zoomed off on the dirt road leading away from the village of Banora. Green mountains surrounded the area, granting them the gift of isolation from many other people that may want to cause them harm. It was peaceful, even if the roads were a bit bumpy, but Zack wouldn’t have it any other way. It suited those three nicely. 

They needed to get away from industrialized cities and metropolitans- even if they wouldn’t admit it themselves. That’s why he didn’t mind making the long trek over here, because neither Angeal, Sephiroth, or Genesis wanted to step foot inside Midgar ever again. 

…and Zack couldn’t blame them for that either. 

The two rode until they saw the sun set below the horizon, staining the sky with the last of its rays before it would give way to the moon. It soon grew cold, and Zack adjusted the scarf around his neck that Angeal’s mother gave him on one particularly chilly delivery trip. Beside him, he could see the headlights reflect back on Cloud’s protective eyewear. He wanted to tell him to take it off since it would be harder to see the road with them on, but he stopped when he heard movement in the woods they zoomed past. 

Raising a fist, Zack motioned to Cloud that there were enemies nearby. He thought this was odd. Monsters already? The night didn’t even reach them completely yet. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw red eyes leering at him from the darkness- they were keeping up the pace with them despite their bikes going at least 80 mph. 

Reaching over to the side of his bike, he pulled out his sword from his holster and when Cloud saw this, he did the same. Over the three years that Zack stayed at Midgar, Cloud insisted that he train him how to use a sword so that he may protect himself. Since the blond never truly made it into the SOLDIER program and only served in its infantry, he saw an opportunity when the 1st Class came into town to learn from the best of the best. 

When their swords were drawn and made ready to cut down their enemies, the monsters jumped out from the dark thrush and another appeared right next to Cloud.

“Duck!” Zack ordered him and his sword swung at the daemonic canine that leapt towards him just as the blond ducked his head low. The sword made contact with the daemon and cut it down into shadowy pieces that blew back to the wind. “Stay frosty, Cloud, that’s not the last of ‘em.”

“Right,” Cloud huffed and raised his head back up. When he turned to look at Zack to make sure there were no injuries inflicted on him, he saw another daemon lunge at him from the other side and before he could alert Zack- the daemon dug its demons into his arm and pulled him off his bike. 

Cloud didn’t waste time braking, dust kicking up as his bike slid to the side while he ran towards his friend. “Zack, are you okay?!”

Zack’s bike was weighing down his leg while his sword arm had three scratch marks on it that were oozing blood already. Though the daemon was gone and slain by Zack, it had already left its mark. Cloud rushed over just as another daemon hopped out onto the road and lunged towards Zack. Raising his sword, Cloud sliced downwards and watched as the daemon dissipated into shadow. 

“Don’t worry about me,” Zack grunted as he pushed the bike off of him and rolled to the side. “Worry about _them_.” He pointed towards the gathering daemons of all shapes and sizes, their mouths leaking with salivating hunger as they surrounded the two. 

“Shit,” Zack chuckled despite the pain in his arm and leg. “This looks bad, eh, Cloud?”

“Don’t be so nonchalant about it,” Cloud frowned, both of their backs facing each other with their swords aimed towards the monsters. “Should I handle this?”

“And miss out on the action? You’re joking,” they moved in a circle as the daemons pick and chose which part they wanted to get to first. Arms, legs, the head.. It didn’t matter. All the daemons knew were hunger and instinct, and they never thought of anything else. 

The two made ready to defend when one pair of glowing red eyes moved towards them, but they both froze when a large beam of light descended from the sky and plummeted into the ground- effectively disintegrating the daemon in front of them. Soon that single column of light encircled them, trapping them in while keeping the monsters of the night out. The light expanded and rose, forming a dome that killed every shadowy creature in sight while keeping the two safe. 

When it died down, Cloud blinked to get the spots out of his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the daemons were no longer there. Turning around to check on Zack, he was surprised to see the ex-SOLDIER stumble forward onto the ground. 

“Zack, what’s wrong?!” Cloud dropped his sword and knelt beside the black-haired man. His eyes fell to his arm where the daemon scratched him and saw the wound was already festering and emitting black vapors. “That’s.. not good.” Cloud swallowed, what could he do? They had no first-aid kit, and he had a feeling that simple isopropyl alcohol and bandages wouldn’t do much against whatever darkness was crawling around on his arm. 

His worried thoughts were interrupted as Cloud heard footsteps approaching them from the shadows. Turning his sights to whoever it was, he relaxed when he saw a feminine figure walking towards their direction. A halo of light surrounded her and outlined her ethereal armor, her face was concealed by a great horned helmet but strangely enough, Cloud didn’t feel the least bit threatened. 

Because the same light surrounding her was the same light that saved them from the daemons. 

“Who are you?” Cloud asked the woman as she knelt down besides Zack and propped his head up on her lap. The woman didn’t respond and merely brushed away the dirt that was on Zack’s cheek. 

The ex-SOLDIER squinted against her illuminating aura and his hand reached up towards it. “An.. angel..?” He said weakly before he closed his eyes and passed out in her embrace. 

*******

Zack blinked a few times, visions of stars dotting the night sky slowly came into focus and he felt warmth as well as hearing wood snapping in the soft crackles of a fire. Turning his head, he saw the orange flames wave goodbye to the floating embers that flew upwards.

He reveled in the warmth and when he adjusted his head, he felt something both soft and hard underneath him. Looking up, he bit on his lip to prevent yelling in surprise at the horned helmet that stared back at him. Sitting up quickly, he winced and grabbed his arm, seeing that there was a white cloth wrapped where he was scratched by the monster from earlier. A hand rested on his shoulder and he turned to see the helmeted person make him lay back down; unable to resist due to his increasing fatigue, he gave in and laid back down- surprised to see how soft the skin felt under his head. 

Upon closer inspection, Zack saw a feminine shape and the tops of her breasts sticking out from the silver bodice of her armor. He was right, the person who saved them really was an angel. 

“Hey,” he looked up at her, “who are you?”

The armored woman merely stared ahead, the fire glinting off her helmet. 

“You’re finally up,” a voice made him turn and he saw Cloud sitting against a tree. “Guess I don’t gotta explain the situation to you?” 

Zack adjusted to have one of his hands resting under his head, situated right above the woman’s lap. “Sorry Cloud, did I worry ya?” When Cloud sighed loudly, he grinned. 

“We should get going soon,” Cloud urged him. 

“What’s the rush? We should wait for daylight to break.” 

“Zack.. Aerith and Tifa are gonna have our heads if we don’t get back soon.” 

“Ugh, fine.”

Sitting back up again, Zack turned around to face the woman. “Hey, thanks for saving our asses back there. Is there anything we can do to repay you?”

The woman shook her head and grabbed his arm lightly, turning it over to see that blood had soaked through the bandages. Untying it, she tossed the soiled cloth into the fire before reaching down to grab at the silk wrappings hanging off of her armor; ripping off another piece for replacement and tying it around his arm again. 

While Zack watched, he hummed. “Hey, I know.” He held up a finger and closed in on the woman, “How ‘bout one date?” He was so close that he could smell the scent of flowers on her skin. It seemed familiar but he couldn’t quite put his finger as to why it did. 

Cloud sighed loudly again with emphasized exasperation. “Zack..”

The woman stood up and cupped her hands together. A ball of light formed in her palms and it floated up above them. Looking at both of them, she pointed at the orb and then pointed in a direction out of the forest. 

“Is this supposed to help us?” Cloud approached her. “And is that the way out?” 

The woman nodded. “The light will guide you both.”

Zack froze and turned to the woman. That voice just now.. it sounded so familiar. Before he could ask her identity, she turned her back to them and began walking deeper into the forest. 

“Wait!” Zack moved to follow. “Are you-?”

They both watched as her body disappeared into the darkness, followed by a shaking of the tree’s leafy layers. Rushing to where he last saw her, Zack stopped when he saw that she was gone. Something white fluttered to the ground and he stopped to pick it up. 

Between his fingers, he saw a white feather and his mind began racing. There was only one person he used to know that ever had anything representing wings. But she was dead now, so how was it possible?

*******

Ardyn was poised against a rock-face with his arms and legs crossed. He looked up as a pair of white wings carried the woman down safely in front of him. Once her feet touched the ground, her armor and wings disappeared, only leaving behind a flimsy white dress that scantily hid her body. 

“Must you help every poor soul who’s had the misfortune of running into daemons?” He asked with a raise of his brow. 

“Yes,” she nodded. “It’s my duty.”

“Was that duty decided by you, or was it forced?” The woman gave him a confused look and he sighed, walking close to her. “Doing the bidding of the gods can only end in misery.” 

Brushing past her, he stopped when he felt her tug on his coat. “Ardyn.. right?” She looked up at him with her forefinger and thumb being the only thing stopping him from moving any further- but only because he allowed it. 

“Were we.. lovers?” 

A bemused smile graced his face as he turned around to cup her cheek. “My dear, why would you think that?”

Leaning into his hand, she blinked. “Because of the way you touch me.”

His smile widened as well as the amount of his amusement. His other hand moved to rest on her shoulder and pushed her back gently until she was pressed against the rock face. Stuck, quite literally, between a rock and a hard place. “No my angel, we were something _far_ more intimate.”

Leaning down, he trapped her in between his arms with his breath tickling the tip of her ear. They were pressed so close to each other that he could inhale the enchanting sweet scent that lingered on her skin and she his natural musk that intoxicated her. “We were adversaries.”

Pulling away, Ardyn watched her eyes peer at him curiously at the mention of their past and she exhaled softly. Her hands rested on his chest, “Ardyn..? Why are you helping me then?” 

“Because dear, having you doing the Draconian’s work is causing quite the ruckus,” he said, “and I can’t have that.” He curled his finger under her chin. “Also, I admit I miss your fire and your fury. But seeing you so clueless and so malleable- why, it’s almost delightful. How easily I could whisk you away right now and tell you fictitious tales to eat out of my palm..” 

Her lips were parted slightly and he could only graze them with his thumb, outlining it slowly as to memorize the shape. _How very tempting_ , he thought, _but alas._ Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, he stepped back. “It wouldn’t be very satisfying for me to take you now while you aren’t truly yourself. I shall wait when your fire comes back so that I may extinguish it once more.”

Looking up at the sky, he saw the moon still perched high up and hummed to himself. “Stay here and be a good girl, there’s something I must see to.” Tipping his hat to her, he smiled, “You can do that for me, can’t you?” 

She nodded. 

“Ah, but one more thing,” Ardyn lifted his hand to her chest, hovering over as wisps of darkness left his fingertips and traveled towards her sigil-marked skin. “Can’t have the Bladekeeper summoning you whilst I’m gone, now can I?” He said as he watched the subtle glow of the mark become completely encapsulated in darkness. 

The woman in white nodded again, walking towards a large boulder and seating herself on it. Satisfied, Ardyn left her to continue on with his business- whatever it may be. 

*******

Zack burst in the door just as Angeal took a seat at the dining table, his own surprise completely masked by the fact that Zack marched past him towards their living room. 

“Uh-?” Angeal tossed Cloud a confused look just as the blond stepped in with an apologetic dip of his head. 

“Where’s a computer?!” Zack said loudly as he began searching. 

“Don’t have one..? Gen does.” 

Without another word, Zack left the house and began walking towards Genesis’ house. Angeal and Cloud gave each other a look before following him. 

“Don’t you have a phone? Why can’t you use that?” 

Zack dug in his pocket and turned it face up for the both of them to see its cracked screen that seemed utterly irreparable. Angeal turned to Cloud, “Where’s yours?”

“Um. I gave it to Vincent,” he answered and offered a sheepish shrug when Angeal sighed loudly. 

On the road towards Genesis’ house, they saw that multiple lights were still on- signaling that either Gen and Seph were still up, if not both. Their house was the biggest in the village and rather hard to miss, considering how much Genesis’ adopted father made the most money in the village. Knocking on the door, Zack waited approximately two seconds before he walked right on in. He didn’t think decorum necessary as the issue on his mind seemed more pressing. 

Beyond the doorway, holding a mug of tea, a tall man with chin-length auburn hair shot the three guests with an aggravated look. His dusty blue eyes twitched with irritation as he set the mug down on the table in front of him, right next to a worn out copy of ‘Loveless’. 

“Can I _help_ you?” He asked them while seating himself on a couch. 

“Genesis,” Zack walked towards him, “where’s your computer?”

Taking a sip of his tea, Genesis pointed upstairs at the room right above the living room and immediately set his cup down when he saw how fast Zack bolted up his stairs. 

“What’s his problem?” Gen asked Angeal to which the latter shrugged.

“We should see what he’s so worked up about,” Angeal offered and Genesis rolled his eyes. 

“He’s a puppy, he gets hyperactive over everything.”

“’scuse me,” Cloud stepped forward. “I think he has good reason to. On the roads, we ran into something- someone.”

“Oh? Was it some nymph of the forest?” Genesis raised a brow, his sarcasm dripping into his words like the honey he used in his tea. “Or some guardian spirit?”

“Yeah, actually,” he said much to the two ex-SOLDIER’s surprise. “It was some lady with angel wings.” 

With one look shared between Angeal and Genesis, they both followed Zack up the stairs- leaving Cloud to stand alone at the doorway until he too followed. Cloud turned the corner into the room and soon bumped into something rather solid; rubbing his nose, he expected to see a wall but instead saw a head of long silver hair. That head turned around and a set of bright green-blue eyes leered down at him from a tall height. 

“Sephiroth!” Cloud finished rubbing his nose that had the misfortune of running into the legendary ex-SOLDIER. “S-sorry!”

Sephiroth turned back to face the room, ignoring the apology. “You followed the ruckus too, huh?”

“Yeah,” he nodded in response. “Just wanted to see what Zack got worked up for.”

In front of the computer, Zack seated himself and typed furiously at the keyboard whilst his eyes searched the wide screen for something. Behind him, Angeal and Genesis stood with worried looks on their faces. 

“Did you hit your head on the way here?” Angeal asked him and he watched as he clicked on a few links that lead him to a contact page that popped up on the screen. 

“Sort of,” Zack mumbled as another window came up on the computer with an emblem of a three-pronged crown displayed on the middle of a blue screen. A phone icon was ringing right below it that soon picked up and another window showed up in its stead. 

A girl with shoulder-length black hair tied back with a lavender ribbon soon appeared on the computer, her blue eyes lit up as soon as she saw Zack and she gave him a grin. _“Heya, haven’t seen you in a while! What’s up?”_

“Hey Xion,” Zack responded and the girl beamed. 

Xion squinted and leaned forward. _“Hi Angeal, hey Gen! Is that Seph behind you two? Oh- and Cloud too!”_

“Hey, see you started wearing the lab coat,” Angeal waved to the screen. 

_“Oh, this?”_ Xion pulled on the lapel of white lab coat she wore. _“Yeah.. been helping Ienzo and Even on their research. Figured I could be useful in some way since Roxas patrols the castle as a job now. What about you guys, what’s been going on?”_

“Actually, Xi, I needed a favor,” Zack pulled the large white feather he tucked safely in his shirt pocket and showed it to the girl. “Could you scan this or something and let me know who it belongs to?”

_“I’m gonna need a bit more information before I use our search engine..”_

“We were on our way back to Midgar and ran into some daemons,” Zack showed his arm that still had the wrappings tied tightly around his bicep. “We were surrounded till some woman showed up in full silver armor and wiped them all out in a single hit. She left behind this,” he waved the feather in front of the camera, “I wanted to confirm something.”

_“A woman in full silver armor..?”_ Xion leaned forward to take a closer look on the screen again and she snapped her fingers. _“Oh! You’re talking about that ‘Lady of the Lifestream’.”_

Angeal moved to be in the camera frame with Zack. “‘Lady of the Lifestream’..? What is that?” 

_“You guys don’t know?”_ Xion rubbed the back of her neck. _“Well.. you guys do live in the middle of nowhere so I guess local news doesn't reach you as fast- no offense!”_

Genesis snorted. “None taken.”

_“When the daemons attacks and monsters have been getting stronger, a woman in silver armor has been appearing in places where people need help most. What makes her stand out, obviously, is the large set of wings she has. No one really knows if she’s just a hired mercenary- or some warrior sent by the gods,”_ Xion explained. _“She kinda just appears and disappears, so no one gets a really good look at her. If you and Cloud were in trouble, it would make sense why she would appear to you.”_

“Has anyone gotten a picture of her?”

Xion nodded and with a few swipes of her fingers, images began popping up next to their video call. Most of them were blurred and the ones that were clear had the misfortune of being taken at far distances; Zack scrolled through them quickly, his eyes scanning until he found one picture of the angel that he saw. With her hand poised on the sword as she was about to strike down a daemon. 

Swallowing his breath, he calmed his nerves. At the moment, he wished he was alone in the room now- because if he was wrong.. he would just bring up painful memories for no reason. 

“Xion,” he started slowly, “...do you have any pictures of Lady?”

Her expression shifted slightly and her smile grew to be an uncomfortable one. _“Uh, maybe? Did you need to see them now?”_ He saw how her eyes glanced at the four behind him and he knew she had the same thoughts as he did. 

“Yeah,” he said with the most serious of tones he could muster. “Specifically from her SOLDIER days.” 

“Zack..” Angeal muttered his name behind him and he only ignored him. 

_Sorry, Angeal, I need to see if I’m right._

_“We’re probably better off asking someone who’s actually in Shinra, hold on.”_ Another screen popped up next to hers and his with the words ‘incoming phone call’ displayed on the blacked out window. 

Soon, the window lit up and a man with slicked back black hair appeared on the screen. His friendly smile was outlined with a dark beard and in the background in what appeared to be an office setting was the red and white Shinra logo.

_“Hey Reeve, or should I say Cait Sith?”_ said Xion. 

Reeve Tuesti, the man who used to run the head of city development as a director in Midgar, helped them out a long time ago while disguised as an animatronic cat that would feed them info from Shinra. His visits to the Alstroemeria apartments were plentiful, as he would always converse with Lady even if not a lot of the residents trusted him at first. But because Lady trusted him, they came to do so too. 

_“Reeve works fine,”_ he smiled. _“How can I help? Bit late to be making calls isn’t it?”_

_“Sorry, we just needed to ask you a favor.”_

_“Oh? Fire away!”_

“Do you have any pictures of Lady when she still served in SOLDIER?” Zack butted in and Reeve’s smile was replaced with confusion.

_“Uh, possibly? But I think even with my clearance, I don’t think I’d be able to access it.”_

“Why not?”

_“Before Hojo disappeared, he encrypted the files that had anything to do with her.”_

“Hmph, figures” Sephiroth’s expression darkened as he stood there, receiving the information. 

“Can’t you try?” Genesis asked, much to Zack’s surprise. He didn’t seem to want to be invested in this up until now. 

_“I suppose,”_ Reeve began typing and yet another screen popped up near their video chat windows. His screen was mirrored to theirs so that they could see his activity and whatever files may pop up. Soon, a picture of a young woman in 1st Class armor appeared; her headshot being the only thing readily seen. Across her face were the words ‘deceased’ stamped in big, bold red letters and upon seeing this, Zack felt Angeal and Genesis tense up behind him. _“I- sorry you had to see that.”_

The room fell silent as Reeve tried to dig into anything more on her case file, but the only things that he managed to pull up was her profile shot as well as some of the aliases that she went by during the years she ran from Shinra. Out of all of her nicknames she’s used from place to place, one of them stuck out, namely the one that said ‘Lady’. 

Everyone who knew her knew that ‘Lady’ wasn’t her real name, not like she told anyone that fact anyways. For reasons she kept to herself, she mostly kept her identity a secret.

_“I’m afraid that’s all it’ll let me access.”_ He sighed. It was only surface level information. Names, addresses- not even any type of background info. 

_“Let me try.”_ Reeve’s screen began filling up with numbers and letters as Xion typed. Much to everyone’s surprise, the information that was blurred out prior to Reeve’s attempt was now clear and available for everyone to see. 

Director Tuesti’s mouth hung agape. _“Did you just hack into our-”_

_“Let’s see here..”_ Xion cut him off. There were some paragraphs concerning Lady’s family and origins which she breezed through. After a few seconds of scrolling, she pulled up an array of pictures that depicted her days in Shinra. Most of them were of her interacting with other members of SOLDIER- including Angeal, Sephiroth, and Genesis, whilst others were just headshots that depicted her growth during her infusion with mako. Finally, she came across a picture showing her holding a sword up and poised carefully in combat- which made Zack stop her. 

“That one,” he said, “can you pull it up?” 

Xion nodded and enlarged the picture for everyone to see. In her black 1st Class fatigues, Lady posed with her sword pointed to her enemy and made ready to strike them down. Taking the mouse, Zack moved the other picture that showed the woman in silver armor and placed them right next to each other. 

When he saw what he suspected, he leaned back in his chair and allowed everyone behind him to see; and what they saw sent another shockwave of silent trepidation in the room. 

The two women posed with their swords- had the exact same stance. 

If one were to replace their armors with each other, it would fit the same as their body types matched up perfectly. Every detail, even to the way the women bent their knees in preparation for a strike, was a perfect imitation. There was no way this was a coincidence. 

Xion clicked on the screen a couple times and a green line ran through the tops of the heads in the pictures to display their heights with a number that read the percentages of their match.

_‘98.9% similarities’_ a computerized voice announced and it sent chills up Zack’s arms. 

Both Reeve and Xion looked frozen in their cameras but only because they were beside themselves with shock. The only thing that went through everyone’s minds that were present in that room was: was it possible that this woman in silver armor and Lady were the exact same person?

“That’s impossible,” Genesis muttered. “We witnessed her die right in front of us.”

“No one will know for sure, unless that woman-” Angeal pointed to the one coated in silver, “-takes off her helmet.” He didn’t want to believe it, he didn’t want to give himself that hope.

“Then how do we get her to take it off?” Sephiroth approached the other three in front of the computer.

_“You’re asking the wrong question,”_ Xion interjected. _“The real problem is how do we get her to appear. Like I said earlier, she comes at random.”_

“What was her last location?” Angeal asked. 

_“The Glaives reported a sighting a few days ago during one of their daemon purges. She appeared in the midst of battle, saving them from an onslaught.”_ Reeve replied. 

“What now?” Cloud looked to Zack.

“Simple!” Zack grinned. “We’ll put ourselves in a situation that makes this ‘Lady of the Lifestream’ appear. Then we’ll see who it really is under that helmet.” 

*******

The woman in white hugged her knees close to her chest as she waited for Ardyn’s return. Her attention was called for when she heard a loud gust of wind followed by the sound of something being drained- like a vortex that opened up from the ground. Tracking the origin of where she heard that sound, she saw a portal of darkness appear a few paces away from her. 

She expected Ardyn to come out, but instead saw a muscular figure of a man that wore a helmeted mask with a reflective black surface. His body was wrapped tightly with some sort of armor with strange black material; veins of dark red traveled down his chest and spread out until it stopped at his waist where torn scraps of black cloth hung around it.

The woman sat upright, scooting back on the rock to get away from whoever it was that just appeared. Unlike Ardyn, this man, whoever he was- exuded an enormous amount of darkness that he was proud to display. 

“Who are you?” She asked. 

A deep voice chuckled, echoing underneath the confines of his mask. “Don’t remember me, babe? Guess not, since this is our first official meeting.” Gravel crunched under his black boots as he stepped closer. “The old man has been having me watch you for a while though, even when you were still alive all those years ago.”

The woman got up and held out her hand, expecting a sword to appear but only felt the cold winds of emptiness flow through her fingers. Her face contorted in confusion. That was odd, her sword usually came to her without fail. Suddenly, her hand flew to her chest when she remembered what Ardyn had done earlier…

This was bad.

“Come on beautiful, don’t be like that,” the man pushed her against the rock face. “Just need you to come with me, no hassles, alright?”

“No,” she frowned. “I need to stay here.”

The man sighed. “Look, don’t you wanna see Terra? Because I know he’s dying to see you.”

The woman blinked. “Terra..? Who’s that?”

A sudden whoop of laughter erupted from him. “Oh man, are you serious? ‘Terra, who’s that?’ Wow.. that’s messed up.” He then slammed a hand next to her head, “You’re telling me this amnesia thing you got is real? You really lost your memories?”

When the woman gave him a blank stare, the man chuckled darkly. “Hoo boy, I’m gonna have some fun with you.” Grabbing at her wrist, he pulled her towards him and back towards the portal he emerged from. Struggling against his grip, she balled up a fist and made to strike him until he turned around and swiftly caught it. 

“Look, babe, I can take you screaming or silent- your choice,” he told her and when she attempted to summon more of her magic to her, he shrugged. “Silent it is.”

A swath of darkness emerged from his fist that flew to her face and made her feel dizzy. Her eyelids slowly closed as she fell forward into his arms. “The old man’s gonna be happy seeing you again, or should I say ‘they’?” He muttered to her as he watched her fall asleep. 

*******

Ardyn stepped into the created circle that met with the forest halfway from the mountaintop. When he saw that there was no one there, he put his hands on his hips and let out an irritated exhale. 

“Didn’t I tell you to be a good girl and stay here?” He said aloud in the lonely area with only the trees as his silent audience. “Now now,” he saw fresh prints in the dirt that didn’t belong to the woman. “What happened to you, my dear?”

*******

_“Lady, hey, Lady.. wake up!”_

Light filled the edges of her vision that soon came to a point until everything she saw was bathed in blinding white. “Lady,” the woman whispered, “was that what I called myself?”

“Oi, you’re finally up.” 

She looked over to her left and saw the masked man peering at her from a white couch. Uncrossing his legs, he got up and walked over to where she laid down. “Lady, huh? That’s what Terra calls you, so I can call you that too, right?”

The woman cocked her head. “Who are you?”

“You’re right, I haven’t introduced myself.” His hands raised to his helmet and he promptly lifted it off, revealing a head of long, spiky black hair and vivid golden eyes. Something about his face was familiar to her and yet she couldn’t put her finger on it. “The name’s Vanitas.”

He hovered over her body, with his arms trapping her within the proximity of his arms. Golden eyes looked down to see the dark mark between her breasts and he reached to pull her dress down to get a clearer look. “This looks new.” A sadistic smirk crossed his face as he trailed his hand down to her thigh and began pushing up, the hem of her dress riding up his hand. “You’re not wearing a bra, how ‘bout down here?”

The woman held onto his forearms, holding her breath while she watched him pull up her skirt even more. When it revealed the area he wanted to see, his eyes flashed with mischief. “Oh shit, you really aren’t wearing anything underneath. What’s that supposed to tell a guy like me?” 

Whatever answer she wanted to say was promptly blocked off as she felt a finger flick up her slit while his face dived down to nip at the side of her neck. Vanitas wasn’t slow nor forgiving as he quickly shoved his finger inside of her despite her not being completely wet to accommodate the invasion. 

She let out a small gasp as he pushed in two additional fingers in tandem with his tongue that tasted the flesh on her neck. 

“Stop..” she winced as his thumb flicked her nub. It hurt. She wasn’t wet at all, and the way he bit down on her hard made it even more unbearable. 

“‘Stop’?” He mocked her, chuckling against her throat and much to her horror, he replied, “why should I?” Curling up his fingers inside of her, he soon pulled out to show her. “See how wet you are now? Your body wants this.”

“Vanitas..!”

He grinned, pumping his fingers in and out of her as she kept mumbling his name under her breath. “Shit, keep saying my name like that and I might cum before you.” He felt his dick hardening against the tight fabric of his armor and he felt his body get hot. Just a little more- he wanted to see more of her face before he would go any further. Besides.. he hadn’t had this much fun in a while. 

“You’re so cute like this,” he whispered to her as he licked the side of her ear and bit down on the lobe. “You wouldn’t mind being with me, right? I’ll make you feel really good.” Suckling on her neck, he made sure to leave a bruising kiss that would last long after he was done with her. 

“Vanitas.” That voice didn’t belong to her, it was much deeper and more familiar. Vanitas turned to the door and saw the large figure standing within the threshold. “That’s enough.” 

Scowling, Vanitas pulled himself up along with her to hold her in front of him. “Don’t like what you see?” Through the fabric of her dress, he groped her harshly with her wincing underneath his rough treatment. “I wouldn’t give a shit if you watched us fuck right now.”

When the man in the doorway walked towards him, Vanitas clicked his tongue loudly and pushed her down onto the bed. Before he got up, he gave a tight slap to her ass that echoed in the room loudly; on the way out, he made sure to bump into the other man’s shoulder as roughly as he could. “Don’t get too excited,” Vanitas sneered before slamming the door behind him. 

The woman looked up, pushing herself up off the mattress to see who it was that walked in. A black gloved hand helped her up and pushed away the hair from her face. “Are you alright?” His deep voice was gentle as he knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his. 

She regarded the older man, noting how his long silvery-white hair stood out against his slightly tanned skin. His golden eyes matched the ones from the masked man earlier, but he looked at her with such tenderness that she could lose herself in those deep pools of amber.

“Who are you?” She asked him. 

“Xemnas,” he replied as his hands tightened around hers. 

“Xemnas,” she repeated with a nod. “It’s nice to meet you.”

His expression shifted slightly into one of disappointment before changing into something that represented melancholy. “Yes.. it’s nice to meet you too.” 


	4. IV

Though the years were long in between, Xemnas saw that the woman who gave him his heart didn’t age a day. He never got the chance to say goodbye to her, and now since he had the opportunity to meet her once more- it was as if he was a stranger to him. 

_‘It’s nice to meet you.’_ Those words stayed with him the whole day. They were meant to be good-natured, yet it haunted him. 

‘ _It’s nice to meet you too.’_ That’s not what he truly wanted to say to her after all this time. What he really wanted to say, what the true words in his heart were-

“Xemnas.” 

He stopped and turned around. “Yes?” 

“What’s wrong?” She asked him. 

“It’s nothing.”

They resumed their walk and she turned to the left where a row of tall windows lined the hall. Outside she could only see dark skies looming above a city that had almost no color at all, save for the scarce neon signs that illuminated the streets with scant light. She stopped to get a closer look, slowly tilting her head upwards to see a moon in the sky that was the shape of a heart. Something about this place seemed familiar to her, and yet.. 

“That moon’s pretty,” she turned to look at Xemnas. “Do you look at it often?” 

Xemnas regarded her for a moment. “Not anymore. There was a time where I once gazed at it every night.”

“What happened?”

“..I found something else much more beautiful to look at.”

“What was it?”

“It was someone, not an object.” 

“Who was it?” 

He gave her a half-hearted smile before turning his back and continuing down the hallway. 

She caught up to him. “Where are we going?” 

He didn’t respond to her again, only tossing her a quick look over his shoulder then reached over to wrap an arm around her shoulder. “Whatever happens,” he muttered quietly as a corridor of darkness appeared before him, “stay beside me at all times.” 

Her previous inquiry for their destination was answered shortly as they soon found themselves in an overbearingly bright room. When her eyes got adjusted to the view, she realized it wasn’t any type of light that completely blocked out her vision- rather it was the sheer amount of white in the room that dazed her. 

They were both standing on top of a raised platform with an emblem that looked like a heart with white spikes emerging from its medial line. All around them were thrones and she counted thirteen; she also saw that most of them were now empty and couldn’t help asking herself who used to take up the seats. The tallest throne was occupied, with the two adjacent ones next to it also being settled. 

The three of them had similar features, the most prominent of them being their eyes. Deep golden. Just like Xemnas’ and Vanitas. Their hair was the same silver-white shade as Xemnas’, though styled with little variances compared to each other. Sitting on the highest throne, she saw an older man that appeared to be in his early eighties; he was bald and peered down at her with great interest. Beside him to his right, was a younger man with bangs similar to Xemnas- now that she thought about it, they all looked similar to Xemnas…

...Or did Xemnas look like them? 

Their faces were so familiar, and the feeling of deja vu only got worse. The discrepancies in her memory were starting to infuriate her. Why didn’t she remember them? She stood in this room once before. Why couldn’t she remember _anything_ ? Why? Why? **Why?!**

A small gasp left her lips. That voice, where did it come from? It almost sounded like her own. 

“Well,” the older man spoke first. “It’s good to finally see you, ‘Lady of the Lifestream’.” 

“...Who are you?” Lady responded. Those words in that question were becoming more and more prevalent within her vocabulary.

“We met some time past,” he said and the younger man in the throne next to his smirked. “It’s a surprise to see you in good health, though a shock- we’re pleased you lived.”

“Then do you know-” she stepped forward from Xemnas’ side, “-how I died?” 

“I told you she didn’t remember shit.” One of the other thrones had a portal of darkness open up on the seat that died down as Vanitas appeared on the white seat. “You know Lady, you’ve been here before. Whaddaya say ‘bout becoming part of the family?” In a flash, Vanitas disappeared from his seat and Lady immediately felt a rush of wind behind her.

“Vanitas..” Xemnas warned. 

“What?” Vanitas was irked then turned to the older man seated on the throne. “Come onnn. When are we going to do something, it’s so _boring_ here! When are you finally gonna let me do that little idiot in?” 

“Vanitas, I told you to leave Ventus alone,” the older man said. 

“Hah! Yeah, right,” he scoffed. “You know how his face looks when he keeps asking me ‘where’s Terra?’ or “what did you do to Terra’ blah blah blah..”

Lady frowned. “Terra?” 

Vanitas turned to her smirking, moving to wrap an arm around her neck and began pointing at the seated thrones. His finger first went to a man that looked to be about Xemnas’ age; his long silvery-white hair swayed on his upper back with his bangs slicked back against the sides. 

“That one right there? Name’s Ansem, Seeker of Darkness or whatever- don’t confuse him with the other old guy who’s also named Ansem.”

She faced Vanitas with a confounded expression. “What?”

Ignoring her, he pointed to the old man sitting on the highest throne in the room. “Ol’ Master Xehanort. He’s had his eye on you for a while you know.” Moving his hand down, he motioned with such grandiose gestures that she was sure he was making fun of the younger man. “That one is Xehanort, just younger and of course you already know Xemnas. But wanna know something? There’s one more that’s not here, and trust me when I say this- he’s _reaallyyy_ looking forward to seeing you again.”

Leaning in closer, he whispered in her ear. “To be honest with you- they’re _all_ part of Xehanort.”

Lady faced him with her brows furrowed together and before she could stop the words that appeared in her mind- she spoke out. “What the fuck?”

Vanitas let out a laugh and held her face with both hands. “Damn, you sounded like your old self just now.” His thumb grazed the side of her cheek, “Hey, how do you feel about an audience?” 

His question alarmed her when she knew what he meant. His thumb dropped from her cheek and poked her bottom lip, attempting to gain entry into her mouth. Her eyes flashed and she immediately bit down on his finger which she expected him to draw back at the pain, but ultimately she watched as his grin widened. _He liked that..?_ She then resorted to finishing what she first attempted to do when he first took her. 

She intended to punch him right on the mouth. 

It didn’t take him long to realize what she was doing when he saw her fist tighten and rising up towards his face. Vanitas immediately moved to the side, his hand stretching out as a weapon appeared in it. In a flash of black lightning coiling in an orb of shadow, it stretched out until it formed a long blade-like structure; at first glance it looked like a key to her. She frowned. She didn’t think she’d seen anything quite like it. 

_A key-blade?_

“Come on then,” Vanitas goaded her, raising his weapon above his head and pointing it right at her. “Show me what you got!” 

Lady held out her hand, expecting her weapon to materialize in her hand but looked down at her empty palm when nothing came. There was no time to lament the loss of her sword when Vanitas swung down and she stepped to the side- grabbing his head with both of her hands and bringing her knee up to meet his chin. 

Vanitas stumbled back, rubbing his chin and seeing a fresh drop of blood leak from his newly broken lip on where he bit down accidentally. Seeing the red color, his golden eyes flashed with excitement and raised his weapon again. 

“Vanitas, that’s enough,” Xehanort commanded from above as Lady rushed to tackle the black-haired man. “That goes for you as well.”

The world around her became negative in color with her body being frozen in place; in her lungs, it felt as if the oxygen was stalled and she felt like she was choking under the pressure of a crushing wave. She was completely immobilized. When the world resumed motion, her knees buckled under her and she collapsed. Glaring at whoever cast that spell, her eyes fell upon Xehanort- presumably the younger one. He smiled at her before holding out his hand as a glowing X appeared in front of her. 

“When you died, the recusant’s sigil was no longer with you,” he explained. “It’s time you wore it once more.” 

The X glowed brighter and brighter as it came flying towards her; from behind, Xemnas could only stare at the events that were unfolding with cold eyes with his fists tightening up by his side. As the X stopped right in front of her, the sigil on her chest began to glow with blue brilliance. A circle of swords appeared in front of her and blocked the X from going any further then promptly broke the other mark with ease. 

A surprised look crossed Xehanort’s face which quickly dissipated. “So, the Draconian already marked you as his.” 

The words flew out of Lady’s mouth before she could stop it. “I serve Bahamut and no one else.”

A part of her hated saying that so much. A part of her was duty-bound. She didn’t know which part was truly her. Lady’s hand moved to touch the sigil on her chest; if she wasn’t able to summon her weapon, the same would be said for her armor and wings. That man, Ardyn- he placed something on her to inhibit her powers but he said that it would also stop Bahamut from calling her or finding where she was. 

Her mind raced. How could she get out of here? She could no longer feel the Lifestream’s pulse, that told her that she was in another world. She should’ve figured that out in the first place, because this one was cold and lifeless. 

“We’ll see about that,” Xehanort smiled, “make sure our guest is comfortable, won’t you?”

*******

Xemnas sat with Lady in his room. Her body was curled up against the sheets with her facing the windows that lined the outer perimeter of his room. It granted them access to see the heart-shaped moon that was the only source of light in the dark sky. When she shivered, Xemnas moved the sheets up to cover her shoulders to which she used the opportunity to grab his hand. 

“Can’t you bring me back home?” She whispered to him. Xemnas only regarded her, his breath stopping when she breathed out an additional ‘please’.

He only pulled her up towards him, wrapping an arm around her waist and holding her beside him. His other hand caressed her cheek as he stared deep into her eyes. “No,” he responded with an equally soft tone. When she tried to pull away, he only held her there fast to not allow any attempt to escape. 

“Why is it that when I have you with me, you always slip out of my grasp shortly after?” He had longing in his voice, a side-effect of the heart that beat within him. The others didn’t think it would make much difference in him that he was a Nobody that regained his heart- Xehanort thought it would only make him stronger. How wrong he was. “This heart you gave me, it brings me only pain.” 

Xemnas never bothered finding another home. This was the only one he ever knew- this large castle that occupied others of like mind. An empty vessel that hovered over a quiet city that had no life whatsoever. 

Nothing could truly prepare him for just how utterly _lonely_ he felt. Never had he experienced such isolation. 

When news of her revival reached him, he thought it was too good to be true. But now that she was in his arms, he felt like he was in a dream. Embracing her more closely, he wanted to make sure nothing escaped, not even the wayward fragrance of her skin which smelled so sweet that it overpowered his senses. It reminded him of the garden surrounding her gravesite, where the glowing alstroemerias swayed in the wind with carefree movement. 

“Xemnas?” She called and it woke him from his passing daydream. Even when fate had been kind enough to reunite him with her- it couldn’t be a true reunion. She had lost all memory of him and it was akin to meeting a stranger. Of course, the gods would never be that gracious. 

“Earlier, you had the same look on your face,” she said. “You’re lonely, aren’t you?” 

He wanted to speak, he wanted to express his feelings. If he could cut out his heart and have it talk for him, he would. There was so much that flooded his mind; underneath the calm exterior lay a raging storm that he couldn’t hope to conquer by himself. 

“Why do you want to leave?” He asked her and the question crushed him. He didn’t want her to leave. He didn’t want her to go away. But she had wings, and he didn’t want to be the one that clipped them. A phrase he heard a long time ago came to mind: ‘if you love them, you have to let them go.’

...But he didn’t want to. Doesn’t he deserve some happiness too? 

“I need to protect those who can’t protect themselves,” she said, her hand rising to her sigil-marked skin. “It’s what I’ve been told to do.” 

“I need you here,” he said before he could stop himself. “I don’t think-” his own hand raised to where his heart was buried, “-I can control this anymore.”

“Xemnas,” she leaned close. “Were we.. lovers?” She had asked that question to Ardyn too. Nowadays, she couldn’t tell who was what to her in the past. But the way he talked to her, looked at her, touched her- it was intimate and suggested something more than friends. 

“No,” he said with a wry smile, there was no point in lying. “But.. you taught me how to love.” His hands found themselves on her, one on the back of her neck and the other resting on the crook of her waist. He leaned forward just as his hand guided her towards him so that they would meet in the middle with their lips. 

Closing her eyes, Lady pushed herself forward, lips parted in anticipation. She soon felt his bottom lip connect with hers and felt her whole body tingle under his touch. For Xemnas, this would be their first proper kiss, and so his body reacted in a visceral way- demanding that he take her immediately. But he wanted to be gentle, to savor this moment. He wanted- 

“Am I interrupting something?”

Xemnas halted just before their lips met and he felt anger rise in him. Pulling away ever so slowly, he turned towards the door and saw young Xehanort smiling at him expectantly. Since they could use corridors to travel quickly from place to place, there was no true use for the doors to the bedrooms. 

“What is it?” Xemnas asked, doing his best to hide the irritated look that crossed his face. 

“You’re needed,” Xehanort said.

Xemnas got up, extending a hand to Lady and pulling her up beside him. He motioned for her to follow and she did, still remembering what he told her earlier: ‘stay beside me at all times.’ 

When they passed Xehanort, he quickly reached out and caught her by her waist. “He said he wants to speak to you alone,” he told him with a sneer. “She doesn’t need to go with you.”

When Xemnas started for him, he took a step back and used her as a buffer between the two. “Not so fast, I’ll be sure to take good care of her.”

“Xehanort..” Xemnas frowned. 

“Yes?” The young man said with an innocent expression. 

The older man exhaled, there would be no use arguing. Turning to look at Lady, he spoke, “I’ll be back. Don’t stray too far.” 

_Please be safe_ , was what he truly wanted to tell her but decided not to due to Xehanort’s presence. And so he opened up a corridor and let it swallow him in darkness, leaving her behind with someone he definitely found lacking in trust.

“Xemnas..!” She started to follow but was restrained as Xehanort held her still until the corridor dissipated into the ground.

Leaning forward, he whispered in her ear as his hands gripped her hips. “Vanitas told me something very interesting earlier.” He spun her around and began pushing her back until she felt the smooth wall hit her shoulders. “Are you truly not wearing anything under that flimsy little dress?” 

“Leave me alone,” she said in a low voice and pushed her way past him. Heading for the door, she had her hand wrapped around the handle to exit when she felt something tug roughly on her throat. Her hands flew up to try and pry whatever it was that was choking her; looking down, she saw a glowing blue tether tightly choking her neck. Gasping for air, she tried to alleviate it by going in the direction of the pull but her body was slammed against the door and whatever breath was within her soon left. 

Footsteps approached her from the back and she felt that same crushing pressure she felt earlier in the throne room. The space around her became negative in color and she cursed him in her mind- he had stopped time again. 

“Don’t fight it,” his body was close behind hers, her back pressing against his chest. “I just asked you a question, are you going to answer?”

“You-!” Her voice was interrupted as the tether around her neck tightened again and she was struggling to get it off her throat. This was unacceptable, she couldn’t die here- not like this! 

Xehanort moved his hand to the front, letting the tethered whip dangle in front of her before reaching in between her legs from the back and pulled the handle from there. “What was that?” He asked her. “Can you repeat that?”

“I said.. you- ah!” She was once again interrupted as the whip pulled up against her slit and rubbed rather violently at her exposed clitoris. 

“Say it louder,” he urged her, coiling the whip around his fist to shorten it then tugged it upwards with urgency. “Come on,” he encouraged her. “Say it.”

Frustrated tears built up in her eyes which she did her best to blink away before speaking. “Damn you,” she said as loudly as she could and she soon felt the whip uncoil from her neck. A breath of relief would be too soon as that pain faded but another replaced it not long after.

She felt a searing lash go across the skin of her back and she bit down on her lip to prevent a scream. After that one, another followed, and another, and another. Sounds of the whip going across her skin echoed in the room; although the hits were hard, it felt like it didn’t completely break through her skin nor her dress. At least he allowed her that one mercy. 

Finally, the lashes stopped and time around her resumed back to normal. Her knees felt like gelatin and she felt them buckle underneath her weight until a hand caught her and spun her around to slam her injured back against the door. Another scream wanted to escape her but she denied him the pleasure of hearing it, only staring at him through tear-filled eyes. In his hand, she saw the whip change form until it became a weapon similar to Vanitas’; except his was black and blue, with the same glowing neon that could be found on the whip. His weapon then disappeared as he reached to cup her face. 

“Are these the lips that were about to kiss Xemnas?” He said and tilted her chin up towards him. She wriggled her body but became immobilized as time stopped again; if she moved- it was because he willed it. Hoisting one of her legs above his arm, he positioned himself in between as he cupped her face. “Be a good girl, or else the lashes will be even harder.” 

“You can’t possibly hurt me in a way that matters.” Her face had a stony expression on it. 

Leaning in close, she could see his golden eyes shimmer with hunger. “Are you so sure?”

His lips crashed onto hers in a bruising kiss while his hips grinding his crotch into hers. The sensation sent electrical vibrations up her body that died down into a dull roar. Through the thick leather of his coat, she could feel him hardening- it seemed like he was enjoying this a little too much. When she bit down on his lip, she felt him smile and allowed it. His tongue forced its way into her mouth and swirled around in a sloppy fashion; saliva dripped from the corners of her lips that fell down her chin to the tops of her breasts. 

Xehanort’s hand left her face and moved to unhook the silver chain that held his black coat together. It fell with a light chime and he dragged the zipper down until it came down completely, exposing the tight black pants underneath. Pulling the fabric down until his erection could spring freely, she felt it hit her and she shut her eyes. If Bahamut could hear her, she wished he would whisk her away- but she doubted it. A darkness was smothering her light, the Bladekeeper would not find her here. 

”Interesting,” he said, pulling up the hem of her dress until it exposed the skin underneath. “So you really aren’t wearing anything underneath, hm? Do you realize how easy you make it?”

“Don’t..” she pleaded, feeling the head of his dick poke at her entrance. Before he could insert himself further, Xehanort moved her hands to wrap around his neck and held her up, grabbing a generous amount of her ass and giving it a good squeeze. With one leg hoisted over his arm and the other flat against the door behind her, he thrusted inside her. 

“Stop-!” She whimpered through the banging of the door behind her that was in tandem with the movement of his hips. Time was still frozen for her, and even the sensations of his dick pushing into her seemed diluted as well. Regardless of this fact, she felt liquid dripping down the insides of her thigh as gravity pulled the proof of her arousal to the ground. 

Xehanort felt and saw this, his grin widening. “What will Xemnas think when he sees that?” His lips crushed hers in another kiss as his thrusts became harder and harder to the point where she thought he would break the door with the way it shifted against their weight.

Only her mouth moved of their own free will and she whined loudly against his mouth, the sound echoing in his and left him with an appetite for her sounds of arousal. His hands massaged her ass in circular motions before digging his nails in and making her exclaim loudly before silencing her with another kiss. His fluids mixed with her own, his saliva dripped out of her mouth as well as pre-cum flowing out and mixing with her own. 

“Xehanort, please,” she panted, trying her best to keep her voice down. 

“Please what?” He smiled, beads of sweat forming on his brow and when she opened her mouth to protest more- his hand flew up to her throat and blocked her airways. “Get used to this feeling, your body will submit soon and you’ll crave this feeling I give you.”

Crave what? Every thrust he gave her felt muted, as if the spell he had on her benumbed her. And yet she was confused as to why her body was dripping so much. 

Leaning in close to her ear, he bit the lobe and whispered, “Time.” 

Then, in rapid consecutive motions, her whole body felt the sensations all at once. 

The orgasm that she thought she didn’t feel shook her insides like a storm combined with the searing pain on her back- it led to a strange mix of euphoria and despair that made her lips part with her breaths leaving in strangled mewls. 

This time she couldn’t hold a scream back as another climax tore through her violently. The whole time he was fucking her, her body was feeling it- but it all just now caught up. He dropped her leg and she wobbled, helpless as she collapsed to the ground on her knees.

“You may have finished, but I haven’t,” he grabbed her head with both hands and pushed the tip of his dick against her mouth until her lips finally gave. He slid in with ease and he let out a satisfied sigh when he felt the back of her throat; her tongue scraped against his glans as he tilted her bead back to fuck her mouth. Every time he forced his dick down, her eyes would water heavily and she reached to grip his thighs to stop- but he wouldn’t. “Would Xemnas still want to kiss the mouth that swallowed my seed?”

With another smile, he pushed his cock all the way in as he released his cum directly down her throat- not giving her a choice but to swallow it all. 

She wanted to gag. The taste was bitter and the texture was slimy. When he pulled his member from her mouth, a trail of saliva followed it from a connecting line on her lips. Her eyes were watery and she tried her best to blink through them, seeing a blurry image of how he knelt down in front of her. Holding her cheeks with one hand, he wiped some of the remaining cum on her lips and pushed it back in her mouth with a thumb. “Well done,” he praised her as if she did a good deed. “I haven’t had that much entertainment in quite a while.”

With the same thumb he used to push in his cum in her mouth, he used that to wipe a stray tear off her cheek. “Don’t be so upset, the way I treated you is much better than anything Vanitas would do. That one can be.. temperamental.”

“And besides,” he added, “it felt good, did it not?”

She wanted to deny him, but he saw the way her orgasm activated tremors within her body after being delayed so much. Even if she were to verbally say no, both of them knew the truth. Rolling her head back against the door, she glanced up and saw a shock of bright red against the pure white. Her hand reached behind to touch the skin on her back and when she drew it back, she was met with a glossy paint of blood on her fingertips. 

A gasp left her lips. His whips did break through her skin, she just didn’t feel it at the time. When she looked up from her fingertips to see him, he had a kind smile on his face and she was beginning to notice that he only did that when he was doing something rather cruel. If it wasn’t for her weak legs that failed her command to pick herself up, she would’ve walked away from this but they were still shaking and she pinched a bit of skin on them in an attempt to make it stop. 

“You’re sick,” she muttered under her breath, her eyes burning holes within him. 

“Do you think me horrible?” He said as he grabbed her face. “I don’t know whether I should thank you or scorn you for the heart you gave Xemnas. You gave him something we never thought would be possible.” He didn’t wait for her to question just what he was talking about. “You gave him a light that could never be taken away.” 

“It’s almost poetic- all he wanted was a purpose and you gave him one, yet you ripped it away the moment you died.” His words made a heavy weight plunge into her stomach. Was this really the truth? But all of what he said coincided with what Xemnas said earlier, and she believed him more than she did Xehanort. “You left him to wander aimlessly, wading between darkness with the full weight of his emptiness grinding him down.” 

All those downcast looks, all the longing stares he threw her way- it was all her fault. More regret piled onto her when she realized that what happened was so important to him that it changed his life, yet she couldn’t even remember a little of it. A lump formed in her throat that became hard to swallow. If she hurt Xemnas in such a way that she couldn’t even bother recalling, how many others has she forgotten?

A corridor of darkness opened up behind young Xehanort and with one final glance thrown her way, she watched as he disappeared into it and left her alone in the room. Not wanting to get anymore bloodstains in Xemnas’ room, she stayed there and tried to calm her trembling nerves. Bringing her arms up over her shoulders to have her fingers touch her back, she focused whatever lingering magic she had within her to try and focus it onto healing herself. She stayed there, not moving from her spot; afraid to get more blood on anywhere else that Xemnas would see. 

*******

_“Zack,”_ Xion tapped the screen to get his attention. _“Been meaning to ask you, did you really think it was a good idea to bring up Lady in front of those three again? I mean, what if you’re wrong? You would have just opened up old wounds that they were trying to heal.”_

Zack leaned back in his chair, pouting his lips slightly as he got scolded by someone slightly younger than him. “Yeah but I still remember what her voice sounds like, there’s no way it can be anyone else. Wouldn’t you want to find out and let people know too?”

_“I would, but-”_ Xion looked behind her in the office room to make sure there was no one else there, _“-I would want to find out first for sure before telling anyone.”_

“Roxas wouldn’t want to know?”

_“...He doesn’t like talking about her.”_

“Oh.”

_“Besides, even if I did tell him there was a chance that Lady was alive again, he would only get mad if it turns out it wasn’t actually her. So I would like to know for sure first.”_

“How is the little squirt anyways? Haven’t seen him in a looong while.” 

Xion covered her mouth as she giggled. _“He’s not really little anymore, it’s almost funny how tall he is compared to Sora. And he’s fine most days, sometimes he’ll get into it with Aeleus but we make do.”_

“What about Axel and- oops, isn’t it Lea and Isa now?” 

She nodded with a smile. _“Lea and Isa help out Roxas patrolling the perimeters of the castle. Everyone’s doing well for the most part, what about you guys?”_

“Travelling to Banora from Midgar is always so tiring, but it’s worth it seeing these guys again. Heard anything from Insomnia lately about what’s going on with the daemons?”

_“Not really, we’ve been having our own troubles with some Heartless. Recently they’ve been multiplying at an alarming rate and their appearance has changed. Ienzo and I are looking into it right now. Wasn’t Vincent going to investigate the monsters that've been getting more violent around Midgar?”_

“Yeah, he’s still insistent that ‘Deepground’ or whatever has been causing it. So far though, he hasn’t had much luck.” Zack leaned on the desk with his chin resting on his hand. “It seems like the world’s getting more dangerous these days. He eyed the white feather sitting in front of him and picked it up carefully, “Hey Xi, mind showing those pictures of Lady again?”

_“Alright.”_ A headshot of Lady pulled up along with the two photos comparing her battle stance to the mysterious angel that’s been appearing on the battlefields appeared. Xion examined the photos with Zack, hoping her thesis wasn’t wrong. She really hoped she would be able to see Lady again. _“By the way, haven’t you told Tifa and Aerith what you guys are doing?”_

“Uh.. no?”

_“Zack,”_ Xion’s gave him a pointed look.

“Look, I’ll tell them later. What if they’re not able to answer right now?” His nervous laugh was cut short as a screen popped up showing an incoming call. The caller? It came from 7th Heaven. It was Tifa. 

Since Xion could see his screen, she raised an eyebrow at him and he put his hands together in a non-verbal way of saying ‘please have mercy’. For added potency, his brows went up and he did a pout to match the puppy dog look he had on his face. Unfortunately, it had no effect on her whatsoever and Zack bit his lip as he watched his cursor move on its own accord under Xion’s control- clicking on the ‘answer’ button as the screen widened and displayed one very exasperated Tifa. 

_“Where in the world are you guys?”_ Her long dark brown hair was tied up into a bun this time and she wore an apron with stains dotting the front. _“We were worried, you two were supposed to be back last night!”_

“Ah-ha..” Zack put a hand on the back of his neck. “Oops?”

_“Don’t ‘oops’ me! You could’ve at least sent a message!”_

He then showed his broken phone to Tifa and she sighed; her deep brown eyes then saw there was another person in the call and her demeanor changed. _“Hey Xion! Sorry, was I interrupting something?”_

_“No, no, you’re fine,”_ Xion assured her. 

Behind Tifa, another person crossed the screen and Zack recognized the slim figure with long light brown hair tied up with a pink ribbon. “Heya Aerith!” He called and the girl turned towards the sound of his voice. 

_“Zack!”_ She moved to sit herself beside Tifa. _“Where’s Cloud? Are you guys okay?”_

“Yeah, we’re fine. Just staying here for umm-” he searched for the right word, “-an investigation of sorts!” 

_“Ooh, what type of investigation?”_

Zack took a deep breath. “Well you know how there’s more monsters lately? We got attacked on the road, honestly it would’ve been trouble if it wasn’t for this woman that showed up. Some sort of angel.”

Aerith gasped, getting closer to the monitor. “ _..Did you say angel? Did she have some sort of silver armor?”_

This got both Xion’s and Zack’s attention. 

Leaning forward, Zack felt his heartbeat accelerate. “Did you see her by chance?”

_“Yeah, she was at the Sector 5 church-”_

“Did she have her helmet on?!”

_“Well, yeah, but I asked her to take it off-”_

His heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest. “What did she look like?” 

Before Aerith could try and describe her, Xion pulled up the pictures they were looking at earlier and displayed them for everyone to see. _“Did she look like this?”_

Aerith nodded excitedly. _“Yes, that’s her! That’s the girl I saw at the church!”_

Zack let out the breath he was holding. It was true then. Lady was back. Even while he was sitting down, he felt the floor spin rapidly below him. How would he tell those three? The others at Radiant Garden and Insomnia? How would they all react? Would they even believe him?

_“Did you know her?”_ Aerith asked him. _“I remember she had mako eyes.”_

“Yeah, she used to be in SOLDIER a long time ago,” he said. “With Angeal, Seph, and Gen.” 

Aerith made a face and hummed to herself. _“Are you sure?”_

It was Zack’s turn to make a face. “Of course I am, what makes you say that?” 

_“It’s just that-”_ Aerith bit down on her bottom lip before continuing, _“-she said she didn’t know you.”_

Zack’s heart slowed down as he processed her words and his anxiety rose once more. “..What do you mean by that?”

*******

Lady’s head bobbed down then sat upright when she realized where her head was going. Her legs felt numb underneath her and arm that was still reaching for her back ached terribly. She must’ve dozed off while she was healing herself. With her other hand, she reached to feel the skin on her back and felt only smoothed down flesh; there was no evidence of the violence wrought upon her from earlier- save for the blood stains that were now oxidized on the door behind her. Looking around her, she saw that she was still alone and Xemnas had not come back. 

Her mind raced with thoughts of escape but when she remembered what Xehanort told her, she stopped them. She didn’t want to leave him behind, but she also couldn’t stay here. Willing herself to get up, she used the door handle to balance herself as she caught her breath. _I need to find a way out._

Opening the door, she stuck her head out and saw the hallway stretch at incomprehensible lengths. This castle was large and it would take her a long time to find Xemnas or even find a part of the castle that she can get out of. Was there even an entrance to this place? Or were corridors the only things being used to enter or exit? 

Breaths left her in quick succession and she cursed silently when she saw how quick her energy had left her and from such a simple healing spell. The Lifestream as well as the Crystal provided her with the energy she required, constantly flowing to and fro from her to maintain equilibrium. Without it, she was weakened considerably. 

Her feet ran across the empty hallways as lightly as they could, avoiding making noises as she traversed the castle’s passageways so she wouldn’t alert anyone. There were about five people in that throne room- she stopped running. _But Vanitas said there was one more, who is he?_

… Something in her gut told her that she didn’t want to find out. 

Turning the corner, she stopped when she saw a door marked with the numbers ‘XIII’. Initially she was just going to pass it up, but now that she was staring at that number more and more, she felt drawn to it somehow. Pressing her ear against the door, she made sure no one was inside before entering slowly. The room within was nothing extraordinary, just a carbon copy of Xemnas’ room save for the fact that it was smaller and had less windows. 

A single bed was lined up against the wall with a nightstand right next to it; outside the rectangular window she could still see that heart-shaped moon hovering in the sky. She noted that there were no colors in here but was soon proven wrong when she saw a single stick laying on the counter. Walking over to it, she saw the words ‘Winner!’ engraved horizontally onto the side. It looked just like a regular popsicle stick that’s been left out to dry. For what purpose? She didn’t know.

Picking it up, the feeling of the dried wood between her fingers evoked an image of a boy with blond spiky hair; his blue eyes looked at her with earnesty and she tried to remember his name. As her thumb ran down the stick she heard a voice:

_“Lady, let’s share an ice cream.”_

“Who are you?” She muttered aloud to the boy in question. 

_“Me? My name is —-xas.”_

Her thoughts were soon interrupted when she heard the door open behind her.

*******

Xemnas closed the door behind him, not wanting to startle her as the corridor of darkness usually led to surprised individuals. Stepping into the white room he was at first met with emptiness. Then, looking behind him, what he saw made his eyes widen slightly with shock. 

Blood. Splattered onto his door in concentrated design. His fists tightened. He never should have left her with Xehanort.

*******

“It’s been a while,” a deep voice came from the man at the door. His outfit was different than anyone she’s ever seen thus far. Pleated tan-beige pants flared out near his metal boots; a belt held them up around his waist with two red straps crossing over into an x on his dark gray shirt that hugged his muscular chest tightly. On his left arm was a bronze armor piece that covered the tip of his shoulder going all the way down till it reached his black fingerless gloves. 

Golden eyes looked at her fervently; along with his lightly tanned skin was a head of shocking white hair that grew out neatly to his chin. He smiled at her with such longing that it reminded her of the way Xemnas looked at her- but there was something underneath the surface of his amicable expression that unnerved her. Something dark, something.. angry.

“Who are you?” She backed against the nightstand and flinched when she heard the popsicle stock clatter onto the floor. Bending down, she reached for it but stopped when another hand already picked it up and handed it back to her. Standing up slowly, she met with those golden eyes again and she swallowed. “Um, thank you.”

“You don't remember my name?” the man said, his eyes darkening, “It’s Terra.” A hand wrapped around her waist while another took a strand of hair to wrap around his knuckles. “You’re just as beautiful the day you died.”

When she tried pulling away, he held her fast and the fragile visage of his false kindness began to crack and she could see the sadistic glint in his eyes. “You’ve no idea how _long_ I waited for this moment. How long I waited for _you._ ” 


	5. V

“Heya Cindy, I was uh, wondering if you wanted to, uh.. go.. have.. dinner..?” A young man with light blond hair twiddled his fingers together while he was talking to the woman in front of him. Cindy Aurum, Hammerhead’s beautiful head mechanic. This wasn’t the first time he ever tried to talk to her, so one should assume that he would be less awkward after so many attempts.. but unfortunately he had the same stutter every time he engaged in a conversation with her. 

The blonde, curly-haired mechanic stopped moving her wrench and blinked her bright green eyes up at him. “Sorry, did you say somethin’?”

He jumped. “Oh! Uh, nothin’ really haha..” 

“Prompto, get your ass in gear and let’s go!!” A gruff voice called the blond and he immediately turned around to see another man that towered over his other friends. 

“Coming!!” Prompto willed the blush to leave his face but the redness was already making the freckles stand out against his pale skin. Turning to Cindy, he gave her a shy wave. “Alright, seeya later Cindy!”

When he ran back over to the large black car that could room five people within exquisite tailored leather, the man who called him crossed his arms and had an unimpressed expression on his face. “How many times you gonna act like a wimp in front of Cindy?”

Prompto didn’t get a chance to respond as he turned to call the other two in the gas station shop. “Iggy, Noct, we goin’?”

“On my way,” a bespectacled man walked behind another while carrying a paper bag in his hands. In front of him was another young man with wind-blown raven hair that was still somehow strategically spiked.

The raven haired man approached Prompto first. “How’d it go with Cindy?”

Prompto rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh.. y’know..”

“He bombed it,” the tall muscular man bumped in. “Kept stuttering like he was hypothermic.”

“Like you could do better Gladio,” Noctis scoffed.

“I could,” Gladio grinned. “I really could.”

“Let’s see it then big guy.”

Ignis placed the bag in the trunk and sighed. All he wanted to do was head home already, their trip to Galdin Quay for a quick fishing trip turned to a week long excursion of camping on the beach under the stars- as well as watching Noctis lose much of his bait to the sea’s predators. It was fun yes, but he wanted to be home behind Insomnian walls soon before it got dark. 

Before Gladio even got a chance to approach Cindy, the mechanic was already on her way towards them. 

“Hey y’all,” she smiled. 

“Hey Cind,” Gladio’s voice was already low and dripping with testosterone, it wouldn’t take much for most women to be entranced with his sultry tone. “Was wondering if we could discuss the process for the repairs for the Regalia-“ he motioned to the luxury car behind him, “-over dinner?”

“Sure!” She said much to Prompto’s horror. “Paw-paw gets hungry a lot so make sure you buy him plenty!”

The last bit made Prompto, Noctis, and Ignis turn their face away as they shared a silent chuckle. It was rare seeing Gladio get rejected, and by someone that most passerby’s sought after. 

Cindy then turned her attention to Noctis. “Hey prince, can I ask you somethin’?”

Noctis cleared his throat, fully aware that all eyes were on him now. “What’s up?” 

She then put her hands together, twiddling her thumbs as she looked down to the side. An unnatural characteristic as she was usually always so confident when she spoke. “Couple a years back there was a girl who stopped by here then went to the Crown City.. I was wonderin’ if you knew where she went. I called her a couple times but she never answered, just wanted to know if my sweet pea was alright-“ she stopped herself for a moment, “-sorry, she called herself Lady. Do y’all know where she is?”

Noctis stiffened and his expression went cold. “No.” His answer was swift. “She’s… not here anymore.”

“Oh, alright,” Cindy’s face fell slightly but willed herself to put on a smile. “Is she not in Lucis?”

“...Yeah. Guess you could say that.” Noctis didn’t wanna say the truth. It was more for his sake rather than hers. It’s been years but he still couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt off. But all in all, he didn’t have it the worst. When his eyes shifted to Prompto, he knew for sure that the guilt was the heaviest on him. 

Prompto’s cheerful face was gone, replaced by a somber look with eyes that were glazed over- remnant of a sky filled with dark clouds reflected onto his irises. Even today everyone saw how the little gunman struggled with his aim, as if at the end of his crossfire was Lady who he fired the killing shot at on top of that mountain. Everyone consoled him the best they could, but even when they camped together- most heard how he whimpered her name with tears forming on his sleeping face. Every time he had a nightmare, it was as if he was thrown into that exact moment, forced to relive it over and over as a form of repentance. Most days he was fine, but when it got worse- Noct and the others were there for him. 

“We should get going,” Ignis interjected before the matter could be discussed any further. “It was a pleasure doing business, Miss Aurum.”

“Alright,” Cindy waved to them. “Y’all drive back safe, y’hear?” 

The four of them all got in their respective spots in the Regalia; Ignis at the wheel, Noctis behind him, Prompto in the passenger seat with Gladio sitting at the rear. Without asking Noctis for their destination, Ignis turned the ignition on and pulled away from Hammerhead. 

An awkward silence filled the car. Even with the top down and the sound of wind rushing along the windshield provided some minor sounds, it still wasn’t enough to combat the stuffy mood that entered their space. Ignis threw a glance at the rearview and saw Noctis’ face, which, as he figured- would be an expression filled with anger and quiet contemplation. Next to him, Ignis saw how Prompto fiddled with his wrist, specifically an amber-beaded bracelet that hung from it. A gift from Lady that protected him at their battle with Jenova. It was his saving grace really, if it wasn’t for the magic that was blessed upon it, Prompto wouldn’t have been sitting in this car and would be rotting on top of the Northern Crater. Though Ignis suspected that Prompto would rather be the one dead than Lady, but the little gunman would never say that in front of them. 

Looking at the rearview mirror again, Ignis caught Gladio’s eyes and they both nodded their eyes slightly as if to tell him: ‘you watch Prom, I’ll watch Noct.’ 

Ignis blinked slowly and returned his eyes to the road ahead of him. How misfortunate it was to have unpleasant memories brought back after their supposed boys’ week out. But it wasn’t Cindy’s fault, it was just something they had to deal with. 

A buzzing got his attention and Ignis reached into the middle compartment to retrieve his phone. Holding it at eye level, he frowned when he saw twenty-three missed calls from Xion. That was odd. Why would she be calling him so much? And at this time? He left his phone in the car earlier because the trip he made to the gas station wasn’t that long, but he supposed he should make up for all those calls and see what was going on even if he didn’t enjoy driving and talking on the phone at the same time. It had to be important if she called him that frequently. 

Holding it up to his ear after the third ring, he waited till she picked up to speak. “Yes, what’s the matter-” His greeting was cut short as a female voice on the other end spoke to him frantically. 

After a couple moments, the Regalia swerved from the road with a loud screech and broke to a sloppy halt on the graphite and into the dry dirt. As the dust settled back onto the ground after being disturbed by the car, Ignis face was plastered with silent awe as he listened. 

“What the hell, Specs?!” Noctis pushed himself off the driver’s seat that he collided into since he seemingly didn’t want to put his seat belt on. 

Ignis ignored him and focused on the voice on the phone. 

“Are you sure?” He asked quietly. “...Alright. Thank you. Yes, I’ll update you.” With a click, he set his phone down and placed both of his hands on the steering wheel. His eyes had a far-off look to them and after a couple of minutes, he returned the car to the road and they were back on their way towards Insomnia. 

“Ignis,” Noctis leaned over. “What was that about?”

Ignis’ knuckles tightened against the leather covering of the wheel. “It was nothing.” 

Shrugging, Noctis sat back in his seat and all returned to normal. Through the rearview mirror, Gladio watched Ignis and their eyes met in the reflection once more. Perceptive as he was, Gladio knew something big must’ve happened for someone as cool-headed as the tactician to swerve off road like that. Raising an eyebrow at him, he threw the bespectacled man a silent question that said ‘what the hell happened?’

Ignis returned his reply with a small shake of his head as if to say ‘not now’. 

Crossing his arms, Gladio got comfortable in his seat again and looked up at the sky. It was clear for the most part, no clouds or stray wisps in sight, until something caught his attention. In the horizon, the smooth canvas seemed to be sucked into a small vortex that formed a swirling pool of light mixed with the natural color of the sky. A bright glint came forth from the middle of the vortex that shone brightly with radiance before something darted across the sky like a shooting star. 

Once again, Ignis stopped the car and the four of them watched as the anomaly soared through the sky and headed southwest. Whatever it was, it was going fast. 

“What the hell is that?” Noctis muttered, following the shooting star as far as his eyes could let him. He lost track when it dove far beyond the horizon line, somewhere far, far away from Lucian borders. 

“Gladio,” Ignis pushed up his glasses with a finger. “Make sure His Highness has his seat belt on.”

Noctis made a face. “Wha-?” He was interrupted with Gladio pushing him down to sit in his seat properly and strapped the belt on swiftly. As soon as Ignis heard the click, he floored it and had the Regalia carry them home at a pace that was far more than the speed limits would allow. Ignoring the frantic cries in the back, he set his sights for the Citadel. 

If what Xion said was true, then he needed to confirm it. 

**A few hours earlier…**

_ Terra? _

“I don’t know anyone by that name,” Lady put her hands on his chest and tried to shove him off but his grip was unyielding. 

He ignored her confusion. “Do you remember the last night we spent together?” 

“I don’t remember anything.”

“No,” his grip on her skin tightened. “I suppose you don’t.”

“Let go of me.”

“No,” he repeated, his fingers making indentations in her flesh. “I don’t think I will.”

In response, she shoved him back but only moved him back a mere inch and his retalization was sent back as a swift slap across her cheek. It sent her sideways, falling onto the bed and she quickly tried to roll back up until she felt his hand grip onto her wrist and forced her to face him. His body trapped hers against the bed and she was forced to look into his mesmerizing golden eyes. 

“I won’t let you escape me,” a smile creeped up on his lips. “I’ll never let you go again.”

“What are you talking about?” The confusion was evident on her face and tone. What was going on? Who the hell was this guy? “Who are you really?”

“Don’t you remember? We shared a certain star-shaped fruit together so that our destinies would be forever intertwined,” his finger trailed down the hem of her dress. “Your words wound me, how could you not know who I am? And after all the trouble I went through just to try and see you one last time. But, any sacrifice is worth it for the ones you love, right?”

“Love?” 

“Yes,” he said. “I told you our destinies are connected, together  _ forever _ .” He enunciated that last word as he brought her face closer to his. “If you don’t remember, I’ll forgive you. We have plenty of time to piece together your broken mind, after all.”

_ What? No, this can’t be happening.  _ She didn’t want to stay here, not with him. Something was off about this man, like he was unhinged even if he seemed collected on the outside. 

His head leaned down to kiss her jawline. “I was on top of you like this last time too,” he muttered near her ear while his hand traveled down to her dress and pulled it up so that he could glide his palm up her skin. “Your skin is so delicate, I would hate to see it become scarred again.” His tongue left a warm trail of saliva up her neck and she squeezed her legs together as his hands tried to find her opening. Suddenly his soft touches became rough, but only for a moment as he pried her legs apart and rubbed his middle finger along the quivering outline of her cunt. 

Her eyes were shut tightly and she shivered under his warm touch; her hands clutched his shoulders and her fingers dug into the fabric of his shirt when she felt him push a finger into her. It didn’t hurt as much as when Vanitas had touched her, in fact he was very gentle and when he curled his finger into her, she gasped. He was hitting the spot inside her that kept sending signals to her whole body, and in return they built up pressure deep within her to bring her to the cusp of an approaching orgasm. When he felt her tingle beneath him, he slipped his arm beneath her neck and lifted her body up at a slight angle before pushing in another digit inside of her. 

Nails dug into his arms as wet noises filled the small room; his fingers constantly pumping in and out of her that kept making her knees tremble and feel weak, for this she was grateful that she was on a bed otherwise she would have collapsed. As he continued to pleasure her, she noticed something about the way he touched her; it was by someone who was skilled- no, it was by someone who knew her. With the way he suckled on the flesh of her skin on certain spots that made her whole body sing with intoxication all the while his fingers worked her like they were attuned to how she liked it. It was as if they did this before. 

Maybe he was right, maybe they really did know each other in her past.

But.. 

When she opened her eyes to take a look at his face, fear captivated her once more. His eyes gave off a sinister glow and his lips were curled into a smug smirk at seeing her become undone by his hand. 

_ Love? This couldn’t be love, right? _

Holding him by his shoulders, she tried to shove him off with her legs constricting around his arm to try and restrain his movement. When he saw this, his eyes darkened with anger. 

“Why do you try to resist me?” He growled, using both of his hands to pry her legs open. “I’ll have you submit over and over again until your will is completely gone!” 

_ No, definitely not.  _ She fought back, using what little strength she had to pry his hands off of her.  _ This can’t be it.  _

Dark tendrils shot forth from his body and bound her legs and arms, completely restraining her and flipping her onto her back; he made her watch as he slipped off the straps holding up his belt and pulling down his pants to allow space for his dick to come out comfortably.

“If you refuse to give yourself to me,” he said as he spread her folds with two fingers, “then I will take it by force.”

“Stop-!” She struggled to get herself up. “Stop, I don’t want this!” Adrenaline coursed through her and she used it to try and fend off her bindings but it was useless, she was stuck there until he decided to let her go- which she assumed wouldn’t be anytime soon. She decided she would try to appeal to whatever past relationship they had. “Terra!” She called him, trying to make it as gentle and friendly as possible. “If you really do love me, please just let me go, I don’t want to do this!”

For a moment she saw his golden eyes shimmer and turn blue in color. Looking at her, she saw an overwhelming amount of despair embedded into them and just for that second she thought he looked like a different person just by those eyes alone. 

“Lady..” Terra muttered, his hand slowly moving to rest on her waist while another cradled his head. Shutting his eyes, he looked like he was suffering a massive migraine then she thought she heard something that sounded like a whimper emerging from his throat. 

“Terra,” she pleaded, noticing his pain and change of demeanor, “please, let me go!”

It was then that the binds restraining her dissipated into trails of smoke that evaporated into the air. She sat up just as he stood up with his hands covering his face while he murmured to himself silently. She called his name softly and tried to pry his hands from him so that she could see his face. It was strange, this man seemed to have two different personalities- one being more dominant the other, well, seemed more restrained. 

“Terra..” she whispered but stepped back as his hands dropped from his face. She needed to use this moment to escape; as she turned to leave the room she felt a hand hold her back.

“And just where-“ the blue of his eyes were being eclipsed by gold once more, “-do you think you’re going?”

Grabbing her by her throat, he tossed her back onto the bed and pinned her down. One hand had a vice-like grip on her wrist that flipped her onto her stomach while he positioned her over the edge so that her legs were standing up with her ass being exposed to him. 

“Terra!” She struggled. “Damn it, listen to me!!”

Pulling up her dress, she felt him position himself behind her. 

“No, don’t-!” Her cries were cut short as she felt him sheathe himself all the way inside of her without warning. Once inside she could feel his dick throb with excitement and he moved to pin her arms down on the bed beside her head. Holding her down like that, he continued to thrust until the sounds of skin slapping against skin filled the room. 

If it wasn’t for how he fingered her earlier, she would’ve been bleeding right now with just how rough he was taking her. Fast and hard and without mercy- her legs trembled each time her ass connected with his hips. His dick filled her up whole and left her voided, again and again he repeated this motion until she felt liquid drip down her inner thighs. The bed served as her pillar of support while he took her from behind; if it wasn’t for the solid frame of this piece of furniture, she swore it would’ve been moved to the wall from its original position with the force that he exerted unto her. 

“Wait, that hurts,” she panted, trying to catch her breath as she felt like her wrists would break under his grip. “S-slow down..!” A mixture of pain and pleasure seemed to be the main topic on course today; as the painful gropes connected with erratic thrusts that could send her towards bliss overtook her body. Her requests for mercy were denied every time she asked for it because he would simply ignore it and continue in a way that felt undeniably good.. for him. 

“You were supposed to be all mine,” he said through gritted teeth and between thrusts. “I’ll make it so that no one else can have you!” As his movements became more erratic, she heard him let out a soft groan and she knew he would be at his limit soon if not now. 

“You will submit to me,” he muttered through breathless sighs and she felt his dick throb inside of her.

“Stop,” she tried to turn her head to look at him. “Don’t cum inside-!!”

Lady let out a scream that was muffled by a hand that reached her, covering her mouth. Tears fell down her cheeks as they continuously spilled out of her eyes all the while this man, Terra, fucked her against the bed and came deep into her womb. Hot liquid spilled into her and even then he didn’t take his member out of her, only pushing it further until the cum flowed out from inside her. 

She wished he would’ve at least let go of her hands so that she could wipe her eyes. 

This wasn’t love. Love was supposed to be kind and soft, a warm feeling. This.. this was an obsession. 

“Do you realize what you’ve done to me?” He growled in a tone that insinuated something rhetorical, even if he wanted the question to be answered- she didn’t know what the right one was. 

“I don’t even know who you are!” She cried through muffled whimpers and squeezed her eyes tight, praying that she could get whisked away. By anyone. Anything. Then, she let out a cry for the one person who showed her the most kindness so far. The person she felt safest with here.

“Xemnas!!!” She hoped her calls reached him. “Xemnas-!!” The raw cry ripped through her throat and she felt his hand clamp down over her mouth again. 

“How could you call another man’s name while I’m here with you?” His eyes darkened and she felt him hardening again inside her as he moved his hand from her mouth to push her head down into the sheets. He was ready to take her again. “Don’t you understand how much I care for you?!” 

Biting down on the bed sheet below her, she clamped down on it with her teeth tightly and braced herself when she felt him pull out of her- the cum dripping down her legs and onto the floor below them. Then once more he forced himself inside of her and her whimper was muffled by the blanket as he continued his violent rhythm against her. She tasted salt in her mouth from her stream of tears that soaked the blanket between her lips; every push made her hips tremble and even when pressure built up inside of her to form an orgasm, she found no pleasure in this. 

Instead of voicing his name aloud, she focused on keeping it within her head so that in some strange twist of fortune he would come for her.  _ Xemnas, please help me!  _

When she felt Terra’s cock quiver inside her and notified her that he was soon going to release another load inside her, she braced herself and held her breath. After expecting to feel the warm semen spill into her again, a rush of cold wind met her instead and she felt him exit her followed by the sound of something colliding with him on the wall behind. 

Her eyes opened and she turned to look, confused as to what happened and when she saw what happened her lips opened in a small gasp.

Xemnas held Terra by his throat against the wall, to his left was a corridor of darkness that he emerged from. 

“How dare you,” Terra growled. “Unhand me!”

“I won’t let you do as you like,” Xemnas returned his hostility. “No more!”

In Terra’s hand, a black Keyblade formed. It was a strange looking weapon, something about it felt almost alive; Lady looked at the head of the blade and saw an eye with deep black pupils surrounded by a blue iris with light green streaks going through it. For a moment, she saw that it was looking directly at her. Gazing at her with such intensity that could only belong to a living creature. 

Swinging his Keyblade down, Terra aimed for Xemnas’ head but was blocked off as glowing red rod shot out of Xemnas’ palm and clashed with his. In such a small room, the two of them couldn’t unleash their full power, let alone have enough space to step around each other. Switching his blade to the other hand, Terra struck at his side and missed as Xemnas sidestepped; he then grabbed at the back of Terra’s head and with one massive heave, tossed him through the corridor of darkness that closed as soon as his body disappeared within. 

Xemnas quickly walked to Lady and smoothed down her dress then offered her his hand. “Hurry,” he said, “it won’t take long for him to find us again.” 

Nodding, she willed herself to get up and stand on her own two feet but stumbled forward onto his chest as she tried to still her legs. Catching her, he placed an arm around his shoulders. “Can you move?” 

“Yes,” she nodded, “don’t worry about me, just lead the way.”

Regardless of her assurances, Xemnas entwined his fingers with hers and they made a break for it. From the door marked with the number XIII, her eyes saw all the other doors down the hall that each had a different numeral engraved onto it. XII, XI, X, IX, VIII, VII… 

With each passing number, Lady felt another wave of pain strike her heart. Although she didn’t know why she felt that way when she saw them, something about it seemed familiar. 

“Xemnas,” her eyes never leaving those numbers. “Who lived in these rooms? Did I know them?” 

He cast a glance at her over his shoulder and she saw something flash in his eyes. From what she saw, it looked like pity yet he didn’t respond and only pulled her along the white hall. Her chest tightened as a feeling of sadness bloomed from her heart. Usually such feelings would be blocked off by the Draconian’s mark as he always told her they were unnecessary for battle, but ever since Ardyn placed a seal on it- she felt more and more of her emotions come through as well as blurred images from somewhere long past. 

Sooner or later, whatever it was building up inside her would break through completely. 

They climbed spiral staircases that led outside and Lady saw the dark city below them that stretched as far as her eyes could see. 

“Xemnas, why aren’t we using that portal you use? Wouldn’t it be faster?” She tugged on his hand. 

He shook his head. “They’ll find us quicker if I do. Come, we’re closer now.”

The air was stale and barely anything moved save for the wind they generated as they ran. Closer and closer, they reached what looked like the very top of the castle with the glowing moon beckoning them near. The heart-shaped moon she saw from far away was now so near that she could feel a dull light pulse from its’ center. 

“You can absorb power and turn it into your own, correct?” He asked as they stopped at a large white platform that opened up to receive the moon’s light. 

“Yes.. but how did you know that?” She would be granted allowances of energy from Bahamut, but only in small quantities. She never bothered asking the Astral why she was allowed so little, but now that the god’s thoughts no longer intruded her own- she dared to ask why that was. 

Pointing to the heart-shaped moon, he spoke, “Take the light gathered within, use that and flee.”

“But-” she gripped his hand tighter, “-what about you?! Won’t they hurt you for helping me?” She stepped closer. “Come with me.”

“I cannot,” he said with a somber look. “Not yet.”

“But-”

He silenced her with a finger over her lips. “As long as we’re standing under the same moon,” his eyes shimmered, “then I’ll always be with you.”

He guided her towards the edge of the platform. “Now go!”

Lady bit down on her bottom lip and tore her eyes away from him as she raised her hand and felt the light being pulled away from the moon and towards her fingertips. It soon imbued her body with energy and the surface of her skin glowed with soft luminosity to rival that of the large moon that hovered before her. White feathers sprouted from her back and she felt her body become light with a small bit of her power coming back to her. She cast one last glance at Xemnas and sorrow overcame her at the thought of leaving him here. 

“I will see you again, right?” She asked, worried for his well-being. 

A genuine smile, albeit small, graced his lips. “Of course.” 

Gripping her fists, she forced herself to look away from him again as a portal of light opened up in front of her. With a large gust of wind that came from the flutter of her wings, she flew through the opening; closing behind her, it left the sky void of light and shrouded the castle and land in darkness. Xemnas closed his eyes, feeling the cold rush of wind wash over his face and through his hair. 

Once more, they were separated. How many times must they do this?

*******

Torrents of wind battered over Lady and she did her best to fight against it, narrowing her eyes as she flew as fast as she could. Soon she saw the familiar light of the sun meet her vision at the end of the tunnel and with one last push, she burst forth and was met with warm air. 

She could feel the planet’s Lifestream greet her with its familiar flow of mako that imbued her with its pure and benevolent energy. A large, arid land was the first thing she saw when she emerged. The second was a long stretching road with a large black car driving along its graphite path; squinting, she counted four people seated within its confines but paid them no mind. To her right was the shining city of Insomnia where she felt Bahamut beckon her from his Crystalline home. 

A light formed in the distance and she soon heard the guttural and overlapping voices of the one being who granted her the power she possessed now. 

_ “Thy return must be swift.” _ She heard Bahamut speak in her mind and felt her body being tugged towards the Crystal’s location. 

“No,” she muttered through gritted teeth. She didn’t want to, there were too many questions she had and if she were to go back to him he would only suppress the burning questions she kept inside. 

_ “My orders are not thine to disobey. Come back at once.” _

“I refuse!” She yelled out even if the voice only spoke to her in her head. With a flutter of her wings, she forced herself to push off the Crystal’s influence and flew across the sky. She didn’t know where she was headed, but she needed to get away from the Crystal as far as possible. Speed combined with wind carried her away into an unknown destination, but at the point, she didn’t care. She only knew that she had to get away. 

*******

A sweet aroma greeted Gentiana as the soft petals of the wisteria trees flitted down to meet the ground, allowing her silence as her heels met with little resistance to the ground. Trees holding vibrant purple flowers surrounded the tree line above her and didn’t give way to the dark sky above. There were none that ventured freely into these woods and at first glance Gentiana was the only living being to exist here until she reached the center.

Standing under a wisteria tree that towered above all others was a woman draped in a black kimono with small red butterflies stitched at the hems of her sleeves; a dark purple sash with golden veins running through the silk was tied around her waist; embedded into her hair held up in a bun was a golden pin that contained a small butterfly perched on the end, ready to take off at any moment. Dangling off the hairpin was a series of small jewels that could be found in different parts of the world, a small collection to show that she was a woman well traveled to the trained and cultured eye. 

Before Gentiana could greet her, the woman already initiated the conversation- feeling the Messenger’s presence even if her back was turned. 

“I thought the gods’ would no longer involve me in their so-called diplomacy,” the woman said, still refusing to face Gentiana. 

This specific area drained Gentiana of some of her energy, the light emanating from the wisteria flowers absorbed a portion of her power into its petals as long as she was there. It affected and weakened her, but it also allowed the two women to speak freely in this place where not even Bahamut’s eyes or ears can reach. 

“The Messenger has come to speak, and only thus,” Gentiana said slowly with her hands folded in front of her. “She has come to ask for your aid.”

“My aid?” The woman scoffed. “Why would you need it?” 

“It concerns the girl . The Draconian’s hold on her has weakened but still remains, even if she were to break free she will need help for he will not let go of her so easily.”

It was then that the woman turned around, her calm face looking slightly concerned. “And are you sure it’s her?” The jewels hanging from her hair pin dazzled as they caught the light that the trees gave off. “Gentiana, is this another cruel trick Bahamut has decided to play on me?”

“No,” the Messenger replied. “She lives. The woman must go to her soon.”

The woman’s face stilled and she held her chin up high. “And why is it that you decided on bestowing this information to me? A sudden gesture of kindness doesn’t seem to be within the gods’ nature.” Her eyes narrowed, “Isn’t it? Gentiana? Or perhaps I should call you by your true name,  _ Glacian _ .”

Gentiana’s eyes opened slowly and met the woman’s gaze as a cold breeze kissed the petals below her, turning them white in color with snow. She was allowed some of her power here, but only because the woman in black allowed it. “The woman is right to act this way from what the gods’ did to her. But there are no motives from the Messenger that the woman should be afraid of.”

Placing a hand on her chest, Gentiana hoped it would show the woman her sincerity. “The Draconian wishes harm unto this world, and because of this, the Messenger will not comply.” She approached her, “The woman has fought the gods once, she asks that the woman does it again.”

“As usual, the Astrals request a price higher than most can afford,” the woman’s eyes narrowed and pondered over her options until she finally responded. “Fine. I will go.” Tucking her hands within the sleeves of her kimono, she walked away from Gentiana. 

“But make no mistake, I am not doing this at the gods’ behest,” she said to the ethereal being, “this is all purely for reasons of my own.”

*******

Lady pushed herself off the ground, feeling the rubble roll off of her shoulders as she sat straight up. Holding her head, she winced when she felt a severe headache strike her. Was it an error to disobey a direct order from Bahamut? Perhaps. But she didn’t care, the feeling to resist got stronger and stronger as time had passed. 

Getting up, she blinked and looked at her surroundings. A courtyard with multi-colored stone was at her feet, most of it in perfect condition except for the part where she crashed into which left a minor depression. Gardens of flowers surrounded the perimeter of the courtyard and there were ramps leading up into a town with quaint looking buildings; ahead of her was a colossal castle protected by a stone wall with an iron gate.  _ A city,  _ she thought, o _ r town.  _

Standing up, she winced and felt her arm become numb when she tried to lift it.  _ Damn. _ She needed to get somewhere safe so that she could recover without being disturbed. She looked for a place she could escape to but froze when she saw movement in her peripherals and turned to the castle where she saw two figures walking down the stairs at a leisurely pace. Although her features were a bit hard to discern, she could at least see that they both were tall and almost at equal height; their uniforms were identical and the thing that made them stand out so much against each other was the color of their hair. One long and blue while the other was spiky and bright red.

“Can you hurry it up? Why must I always wait for you to catch up?” A stern voice echoed loudly.

“Lighten up Isa, geez.. I just thought you wanted someone to help you check out what Ienzo saw.”

“Yes but I wanted to go as fast as possible, not wait at least ten minutes for you to finish your lunch.”

“Can you  _ relax _ ? We’re here now so chill out!”

An exasperated sigh followed the last part of that dialogue and Lady swallowed when she realized they were approaching fast. She didn’t know where she was or if the people coming were hostile or friendly. Looking down at her sorry state, she decided to play it safe and so she turned tail and ran in the opposite direction of the voices. As she disappeared around a corner she heard the two voices comment on the status of the courtyard she landed in. 

“Woah! What the hell happened here?” One said. 

“Someone must’ve crashed here.”

“How do you know it was a person?”

“...Because objects don’t just up and walk away after they’ve collided with something. Did something in your lunch take away your brain cells, Lea?”

“Wow, I-.”

“Enough, let’s split up and find whoever it was.”

Lady didn’t hear anymore of their conversation as she ran further away from her crash site. She had no sense of direction or even an idea of where she was headed, the only thing she knew was that she needed to get somewhere that was secluded so that she could heal herself. To avoid any unnecessary encounters, she took the alleyways and empty roads until she reached a pathway that led her back to the large castle that towered over the town.  _ Shit _ . She ran a complete circle towards the back of the castle. Her head leaned back to look at the climbing spires and multiple levels that made up the grand structure; taking the time to observe it properly, it almost looked like the castle that Vanitas had brought her to, except this one looked far more welcoming with the warm colors that painted its roofs along with the gardens surrounding it. 

Such an important looking castle stood almost empty when she expected the outside to be packed full with guards or some type of security.  _ How odd. _ Squeezing her arm, she reminded herself to stick to her initial task and saw another pathway leading down to a lower level of the town. Walking down the path, she saw all of the water pipes attached to the wall and used them as a way finder to help her locate somewhere secure. The sound of water rushing below her got louder and she breathed a sigh of relief, hopefully those two from earlier wouldn’t think to look here. 

Holding her hand to her arm, she focused her mana onto that specific area and closed her eyes to wait for it to be done healing.

“Hey there princess, you need some help?”

Her eyes opened immediately and the cure spell she was using changed into a ball of fire that crackled in her palms. From where she heard the voice stood a figure wearing a black coat, similar to the one Xemnas and Xehanort wore. She didn’t want to take any chances, and so she ran over in preparation for a strike- she refused to be taken back to that castle in that dark world again.

“Woah there!” Before her fist connected with the concealed face under the hood, she was presented with a bouquet of glowing white flowers. “I come in peace, at least let me explain myself.”

Lady frowned, relaxing her tightened fist and setting it back down. The man in the coat then offered her the bouquet which she took tentatively. 

“They’re not poisoned babe, relax,” the man chuckled. 

“Who are you?” She held the bouquet with both hands and tried to discern the face under the hood.

The man sighed. “Guess he wasn’t lying. You really did lose your memory.” His gloved hands reached up and pulled back the hood to reveal an older face with an eyepatch covering his right eye. On his left cheek was a scar that trailed up to lead towards his one good eye that was pure gold in color; a long, dark brown ponytail trailed behind him on his back that was streaked with dark gray. “The name’s Xigbar.”

“Who told you about my memory?” She frowned. 

“Xemnas. Told me to come and help you out,” he pointed at the flowers in her hand. “Know what those are?”

“..Flowers?”

“Yep, but do you know the name?”

She looked at the pointed petals with soft yellow anthers. The stalk was a vibrant green and she slid her thumb down it’s smooth stalk as she racked her brain for the answer. “No idea,” she finally answered.”

“They’re called alstroemerias and they’re from somewhere very special,” he offered her a hand. “Let’s see if we can jog that memory of yours, huh?” When she hesitated to take his hand, he gave her a half-hearted smile. “Those guys in the castle really hurt you, huh?... I’m not gonna force you to come, it’s your choice.”

The man in front of her, Xigbar, everything about him seemed shady but yet.. “You knew Xemnas?” 

“I  _ know _ him, princess, he’s still kickin’ don’t worry.” 

Taking a deep breath, she decided to take a leap of faith and trust him. “Alright, where are we going?”

To answer her question, a corridor of darkness opened up and he motioned for her to go towards it. “Ladies first,” he said. 

Lady stepped inside and felt goosebumps form along her arms. “It’s cold,” she whispered.

“Heh,” Xigbar chuckled as he stepped in after her. “You said the same thing when you first walked in one of these with me.”

She was silent for most of their walk through the fabricated tunnel of darkness and she could feel someone staring at the back of her head. Stopping, she turned around and confirmed that Xigbar had been looking at her this whole time. 

“Why are you looking at me so much?” She asked him. 

The corner of his lips tugged into a smile. “Sorry, it’s just.. good to see you again.”

“‘Again’?” 

“It’s nothing. We’re almost there.” 

The tunnel ended and the darkness was replaced with a gentle white glow. Lady and Xigbar found themselves in a shallow crater filled with many of the same glowing white flowers she held in her hand. Orbs of light lifted up from the anthers of the alstroemerias and provided the dark space with their luminescence. From far away, one would assume it was a piece of the night sky that was cut out and planted onto the planet with the way the star-shaped flowers dotted the ground. 

She would sometimes see this place when flying overhead and a part of her always wanted to come closer to investigate. “Bahamut always told me to never come here..” she muttered. 

“Wonder why that is,” Xigbar’s eye narrowed. 

Gripping onto her bouquet, she tread through the flowers carefully as to not crush the delicate blooms. When she walked through, she thought she heard the sound of swords clashing and people shouting but when she turned her head she only saw the sea of glow. In the middle of the crater was a standing crystal and a silhouette of a figure kneeled before it. When she approached closer, she saw the shadowy silhouette become clearer. 

On their knees was a suit of armor made from bronze and gold. Their helmet had horns on it and covered their face, not an inch of their body was visible due to the full-bodied suit that covered it. Lady moved to the front of the armor and saw that their hands were holding onto the hilt of another Keyblade that was embedded into the ground. 

“It’s just a suit of armor,” Xigbar said, walking up to her. “There’s no one inside.”

“But who would leave a suit of armor here like this?” She bent her knees to get a closer look and touch the helmet with her fingertips. “What happened here?” When her fingertips made contact with the smooth metal, she heard a voice echo into her head. 

_ “Lady..” _

She quickly withdrew her hand. It sounded like that man. Terra. 

“Don’t worry,” Xigbar seemed to sense her fear. “This one won’t hurt you.” He walked to stand beside her and gestured at the stone marker behind her. “See that?” 

Her eyes followed where he pointed and saw the stone he spoke of, almost completely concealed by the flowers. “Yeah..” she said. “What about it?”

He did a sharp inhale. “I need you to see what it says.”

She gave him a strange look but did so nonetheless. Walking closer, she saw the many trinkets that lay beside it. A star-shaped charm made of glass, a stuffed moogle doll, a paper lantern, and a handful of other flowers of different shapes and sizes. Near the stone were three swords stuck into the ground; one was large and a bit wide, one was long and thin, one was red and embellished with runes. All three were a bit rusted due to the time it spent laying out here and Lady couldn’t help but wonder why. 

Kneeling onto the ground, she moved the flowers so that she could read the stone. Her fingers traced along the etched words that read:  _ ‘In memory of our lovely landlady’.  _

Finally the figurative lid to the glass jar of whatever it was was building up inside her cracked and weakened in integrity.

And like a train charging towards her at breakneck speeds, her own memories came flying at her. Dropping the bouquet to the ground, she held her head as the sounds, smells, and senses of her past came to live in her present. Faces of all those she met before and memories that she made, painful or wonderful, all filled in the blank spaces in her head that she never knew were missing. An array of emotions entered her and came too fast for her to discern which was which- all she could do as it happened was to take it and hope she could process it properly after. 

Her hands clutched her knees as breathy exhales escaped her lips. As the last of her memory clicked into place, she heard a gunshot echo into the air and her hand flew to her lower abdomen. One of the last things she ever saw was Prompto’s crying face as he shot her all those years ago mixed with all those others that stay with her until the last of her life drained from her. 

“Oh, gods. Xigbar..” Lady felt tears run down her cheeks. “Are you really here?” She turned to him, “This isn’t some trick of the gods, right? You’re really here, right?” When she moved to touch him to determine if this man was simply a figment of her imagination, he already was at her side and caught her in his arms. 

“Yeah, princess,” he murmured, “I’m here.”

At last the remaining bits of the seal that held her emotions broke and her tears ran freely. Her hands grabbed onto him, grateful that he felt solid beneath her fingertips. Her pained wails soon echoed in the crater and she stained his black coat with her teardrops. 

“I know,” he patted her hair, holding her head closer. “But you’re here now, it’ll be okay.”

“Xiggy,” she sniffed, looking up at him. “I missed you. I missed you all so much!”

“I missed you more, princess.”

Lady buried her face in his chest and had her arms wrapped around his neck, both of them sitting in the field of flowers as they embraced for the first time in forever; she was relishing this moment as much as she could for a part of her was still scared that Bahamut would come and ruin this. But when she moved her face to the side and saw Terra’s armor still there, she slipped out of Xigbar’s grasp and moved to kneel in front of it. 

“Why is Terra’s armor here?” She looked at the other man. “Xiggy, what happened?” Thoughts of the others then came to her and she couldn’t stop their names from exiting her mouth. “What about Angeal, Seph, Gen? Vincent and Zack? Noct and the others? Xemnas? Roxas and-”

“Calm down,” he patted her head and ruffled her hair. “I’ll catch you up on everything that’s happened. But you had a long day, you should rest up first before trying to do anything else.” He was right, she did feel rather weak and some rest sounded wonderful. 

“The most important thing right now is that you’re back,” Xigbar smiled. “Right?”

“Yeah,” Lady nodded as she wiped her eyes, “I’m back.”

*******

The woman emerged from the dark thicket and approached the three men who sat on the beach waiting for her. Those three men watched as she came closer and one of them who had a large sword stuck in the sand beside him waved to her. 

“Hey, took your time, didn’t ya?” He said, balancing his arms on his knees that were spread out in a relaxed position onto the ground with his bare feet enjoying the feel of the grainy sand. A broad smile was on his dark, tanned skin- proof that he spent hours out in the sun training for the next blitzball game or just another sparring session. His unruly black hair was kept back by the red bandana tied around his forehead, the sleeves of his jumper was hanging loosely by his waist to reveal the large black tattoo that decorated the whole of his muscular chest, an homage for his hometown. 

“My apologies,” the woman smiled and stood in front of them. “There’s something I needed to discuss with you three.”

“Of course,” another man said. This one wore a red haori, with one of the sleeves slid off of his shoulder to reveal sleeveless black ballista armor that spanned across his broad chest. His black hair was streaked with bits of light grey and smoothed back into a low ponytail that dangled under his robe. Small beaded ornaments hung off the brown shoulder pad on his left and holding his haori together at his waist were two brown belts that held a large jug there where he kept his alcohol for long journeys such as the one they all embarked on long ago. 

“What’s happened?” The last man asked, his usual traditional garb was no longer needed and opted for a simple dark blue yukata with a beige sash to tie around his waist. Dark brown hair cut to his shoulders flowed freely in the salty wind and he had a serene look on his face, as he always did. He still carried his summoner’s staff with him although the other two insisted that it was no longer necessary. 

“I’m afraid I must ask for your help,” she told them. 

“We goin’ on another adventure?” The man with the large tattoo smiled. “Been a while since our last.”

“Yes,” she nodded then turned to the man in the dark blue yukata. “Do you think Tidus and Yuna would want to come along this time?”

“What for?” He asked.

Sitting on the sand beside the three of them, the woman smoothed over her robe. “Jecht, Auron, Braska,” she listed their names and made eye contact with each as she did so. “We’re going to find my daughter.”

“Your little girl, huh?” Jecht mused. “How long has it been now.. she’s probably all grown up, eh, Onna?” 

The woman’s head turned to him at the call of her name and she smiled, emphasizing the glossy red rouge that painted her lips. “Yes, she must be.” 

“When do we leave?” Auron asked. 

“Tonight,” Onna replied. “We’ve a long journey ahead of us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: On-na means ‘woman’ in Japanese.


	6. VI

The iron gates of the Alstroemeria opened up with a loud creak as Xigbar and Lady stepped inside. Their footsteps echoed on the footsteps and as soon as they entered the central courtyard of her old apartment complex, she held back a breath and covered her mouth with her hand. Everything looked the same as it was when she was last here. The gazebo, the gardens, and even the beach- the only thing that truly changed was the lack of tenants. 

“It’s like a ghost town,” she muttered. 

“Maybe because they felt bad for skipping out on paying the rent so many times,” Xigbar stood next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. 

A smile tugged on the side of her lips and she threw him an incredulous look. “Thanks,” she said, faking her offense. “..But seriously, how is everyone?”

He motioned for her to follow and they walked up the spiral staircase leading to her old room. “I’ll catch you up after you sit down.”

In front of her door was a mat and he lifted up the side to reveal a key that was stashed underneath. He then used it to unlock the door and opened it for her to enter first. Her apartment was cold as soon as she crossed the threshold and she immediately headed to the leather couch to take a seat, the chilled material sending goosebumps up her legs. 

“How does it feel to be home?” He asked, taking a seat beside her after closing the door behind him. 

“Strange,” she admitted. “I still think all of this is a dream.” His two fingers pinched her arm and she jumped, immediately rubbing the spot that he grabbed. 

“The hell?” She frowned. “What’s that for?” 

“Just reminding you that you’re really here, babe, that’s all,” he smiled.

“Hmph, so, how is everyone?” 

“You sure you don’t want to rest first?”

“Xigbar.”

“Fine.”

Lady sat back on the couch and listened to him as he caught her up on everything that’s happened. He started off with how most of the old Organization’s members remained at a town called Radiant Garden, working at a castle as researchers or guards or both. Lea and Isa as they were called now, stayed at Radiant Garden and sometimes they would be at Twilight Town. Elrena, Lauriam, and Emyd all stayed at a house there, going sometimes with Sora and Riku for training. Roxas did his own thing, not caring about anything in particular but stayed with his friends for the most part. Xion helped Ienzo investigate Heartless and why they’ve been getting more vicious when they were mostly passive, usually they appeared when a person with any form of light within them made the unfortunate decision to cross into their territory- but now it seemed that the Heartless actively seeked out on hearts with light to feast on. They both theorized how it was linked to the other daemons around the world that became stronger with the building darkness. Of course, they suspected Xehanort since he disappeared around the same time Terra did. 

“Speaking of daemons,” he muttered then continued on to tell her about the way they were festering in certain parts of the world. Especially in the surrounding lands near Lucis. The Kingsglaive would constantly go out on missions they dubbed ‘daemon purges’ to try and minimize their numbers before they could get too out of hand. 

While he was talking about how the recent purges were the most successful, Lady crossed her arms. “Yeah, they’re welcome..” she muttered. The daemons weren’t the only possible threat, from what she recalled, Ardyn was still out there and that man’s goals were still a mystery to her. 

“You didn’t even let me get to the part about ol’ Noct-o and the others,” he said and she motioned for him to continue. Thankfully, the four previous tenants from Insomnia were all fine and dandy. When he told her how Prompto sometimes still suffered from nightmares to the point where he required medicine to help him sleep, she tightened her fists; when Xigbar saw this, he quickly moved onto the rest of the group. Noctis was fine, for the most part; Gladio still served as the loyal Shield; Ignis was just Ignis. 

“And guess what? Those three SOLDIER guys? They’re on an apple farm in Banora,” he offered and she had a melancholic smile on her face. 

“Are they happy?” She asked quietly. 

“I’m sure they’d be happier with you, but.. yeah, for the most part they are from what I’ve seen and heard.”

She nodded. “Continue.”

Angeal, Sephiroth, and Genesis had a peaceful life in their village. Xigbar told her that Zack sometimes visited them with Cloud, driving all the way from Midgar to go see them and take deliveries from their farm. And apparently, Vincent stayed in Midgar’s Sector 7 sometimes between his investigations. 

“What’s he investigating?” She asked. 

“I was just getting to that,” he patted her leg. 

As soon as she passed, Vincent looked into something called Deepground. An old division of Shinra that the previous president kept a secret; mostly because the members consisted of people that were tested and tortured in their labs ever since conception. An array of monsters that she was actually being made to join their ranks. Lady closed her eyes at the idea of serving alongside others who were like her, whose humanities were teetering on the edge or didn’t exist at all. Alongside the Heartless and daemons, Deepground were the suspects behind the mass disappearances of people and conveniently they never left a trace that Vincent could track properly. 

After he stopped talking and she saw that he was done talking, she sighed loudly. “Shit,” she muttered.

“Yeah, you could say that again.”

“So everyone’s got their own little problems at their corner of the world, huh?” She wrung her wrists. Everyone was going about their lives peacefully, even if some had recovered better than the others- they all grieved their own way. “Xigbar, do you.. do you think they would want to see me again?” 

“Lady..”

She swallowed the lump forming in her throat. “Everyone’s trying to live their lives, and if I just waltz back in it’ll erase the recovery they made.” Her nail dug into her palms, “Plus, I’m the one that ruined their lives in the first place-”

His hands grabbed her face and squished her cheeks together so that she could stop talking. “Stop. Are you hearing yourself? Whatever happened in the past wasn’t your fault.” 

“But, what I did to you, to everyone-!” She struggled to speak clearly through her puffed up lips. 

His hands then relaxed on her face but remained holding it firmly so that she couldn’t look away from him. “Are you Jenova?”

She blinked and took a deep breath. “No. I’m not.”

“Then stop blaming yourself for something that thing made you do. It wasn’t you holding that sword and doing all that.” Xigbar talked to her as she shook his head. “Look, I know I’m happy to see you back, so there’s no doubt the others would be too.” 

Her forehead leaned close to touch his shoulder and she closed her eyes. “Thanks again.”

“So, who’re you gonna see first?” He said as he patted the back of her head. 

“I think I’ve got an idea, but first can you find Xemnas for me? I need to make sure he’s safe.”

“Sure thing, where do you want me to take him after?” 

She thought about it for a second before responding. “Bring him here, to the Alstroemeria. He’ll be safe here.” 

When he stood up, he stretched his arms far above his head and she reached forward to grab a piece of his coat between her fingers. “Do you think all of this is happening because of me?”

“If you’re asking me if it’s all related, then I can’t answer that,” he took the hand that grabbed his coat and brought it to his lips for a quick kiss against her knuckles. “But it’s not your problem right now, just worry about seeing the others first and then we’ll just see what we can do from there.” 

Leaning down, he tapped her forehead with a smile. “One thing at a time, babe.”

*******

“Heya Angeal, I was actually wondering if you were free later tonight?” A young woman with long dark brown hair braided down her back asked the ex-SOLDIER. Her freckled face had a blush on it as he turned around to regard her. 

“I got some work I have to do, Serah, I thought they needed you to do work at the mill?” He raised an eyebrow. 

Serah tolled the fabric of her apron around her fist. “Yeah.. but after I would be free y’know? What’s your favorite food? Maybe I can cook something for us?”

Angeal’s face softened to an apologetic smile. “Sorry Serah, I’ll be busy the whole night.”

“I see,” Serah‘s head dipped low. “Oh, by the way, what’s Genesis’ favorite book? Nina was asking and Maaye wanted to know what Sephiroth’s favorite pastime was.”

“Not sure,” Angeal said. That was a blatant lie. “I don’t personally see him read a lot, and Sephiroth keeps to himself.” Another lie. _Oh well._

Twirling a strand of her hair around her fingers, Serah nodded again. “Alright, I’ll see you later Angeal.”

With a wave, she left him alone inside the empty storage house and the man let out a relieved sigh. People have been bothering him since this morning about problems that didn’t even concern him in the first place, but when something did arise, they looked to him for answers. He supposed it couldn’t be helped, and he didn’t really mind helping out. Squatting down, he picked up a box and stacked it against the wall before stopping for a moment and questioning what else he should’ve been doing that day until a shadow was cast on the wall he was facing. 

It was a silhouette of a woman. 

“Serah,” he sighed, thinking that girl came back to ask him about dinner plans once more, “I told you, I’m busy.”

He didn’t bother to look over his shoulder and saw that the shadow didn’t budge, only getting smaller as it approached. Before he could turn around and tell the girl to leave once more, he felt arms wrap around him from behind. 

“Hey, Angeal. Long time no see, huh?”

Angeal froze. _That voice..._ He didn’t dare take his eyes away from the wall and reached to feel the skin of the arms that wrapped around him. Soft and smooth and _real._

He swallowed. “Are you..?”

The arms let him go and he kept reminding himself to move. Slowly, he turned around all the while holding his breath. Turning and turning until he did a complete one-eighty. When he did, he released the breath he held in his lungs and tears flooded his eyes. 

In front of him was Lady, a small smile on her face and tears filling her eyes as well that dripped down her cheeks. 

His hands trembled as he reached for her face to try and catch the falling drops but faltered when the fear that his hand might just phase through her seized his body. When he froze, she simply stepped forward and placed her cheek in his hand. 

“See?” She murmured. “I’m real.”

“It really is you,” he gasped and pulled her into his arms to embrace her tightly. “My gods, it really is you.” His cheek rested against the top of her head and he shut his eyes to blink away his tears. “When Zack said there was a chance that you were alive.. I didn’t believe him. I just didn’t want to get my hopes up, I’m so sorry.”

Her arms wrapped around his waist and hugged him the same way he did her. “I’m here, Angeal, I’m here,” she kept reminding him to assuage his fears and when he pulled back to get a better look at her, she offered a smile. “You look good, being out here in the country did wonders for you.” 

“And you look beautiful,” he breathed, taking into the sight of her. Even if she was just wearing a simple white dress, she just looked so gorgeous. A gods’ send from above, a gift dressed in pearly sheen.

“How have you been?” She wiped off a speck of dirt from his cheek. 

“We’ve managed,” he placed his hand on top of the one she put on his cheek, anchoring it there. “It was difficult at first, but-“

“You three managed,” she finished for him with a smile. “I’m so proud. You lived out your dream of being back in Banora.”

“It was _our_ dream. All four of us,” he said. “Remember?”

“I know. I’m sorry,” she reached forward to squeeze his arm, enjoying the feel of it under the thin fabric of his t-shirt. “We’ve a lot of catching up to do.”

“We do,” he agreed. “Did you let the others know that you’re..?”

“Alive? No. You’re the first, aren’t you honored?” She nudged him playfully. “Besides, you’re probably the person that can handle _this_ -” she motioned to herself, “-with the most stability.” Her eyes had a mischievous glint to it as she leaned forward towards him with her hands behind her back. “So.. Serah, huh? Got yourself an admirer? Sly fox.”

Angeal scoffed. “You were there to see that? Then you must’ve seen how I blew her off.”

“Mmm,” she grinned. “You’re a hard man to please.”

His finger lifted up her chin towards him. “Don’t get me started.” 

“Oh? Afraid you won’t stop?” After a few moments of staring into each other’s eyes, they both burst out into laughter. “C’mon,” she tugged on his arm, “I want to see the others.” Wrapping her arms around his bicep, she put her head on his shoulder. “Do you think they’d want to see me too?”

“Don’t be silly, of course they would,” he said. “They would want nothing more.” 

“Where are they?”

“Genesis’ house.. oh, Zack and Cloud are there too.”

“..What?” She looked up at him. “Both of them? Right now?” She sighed. She was hoping to see them one at a time, to make her greetings easier on her after all this time. Oh well, she braced herself for what was coming as she walked out of the storage house with Angeal. 

*******

“Man, your pawents really keep this place shtocked,” Zack said through a mouthful of meat. “Right? Geneshis?”

Genesis made a face. “For the love of the gods, can you _swallow_?”

Zack did so and gave him a sheepish grin, “My bad.”

Cloud sat on the edge of the couch, his hands bundled up in his lap with his back stick straight. It’s been three days that they’ve stayed at Genesis’ house and even if he said he didn’t mind- Cloud didn’t like the idea of getting in their way. 

“At ease, soldier,” Sephiroth muttered without looking up from his book.

Cloud’s posture became even more rigid. “Ah, y-yes sir!” 

“It was a joke. You need to relax.”

“Oh.”

“Cloud! Want some?” Zack called from the kitchen as he waved a bag of instant noodles haphazardly in the air. 

“Zack..” Cloud shook his head. “Didn’t you already eat?”

“I have a high metabolism,” the other shrugged before disappearing back into the kitchen followed by the sound of a stove turning on. 

“I’m really sorry about that,” Cloud apologized to Genesis and the latter shrugged. 

“I can tolerate it,” he had a sour look on his face, “for now.”

The front door then suddenly opened and Angeal walked in with an excited yet nervous look in his eyes. “Is everyone here?” He asked. 

“Yes, what’s wrong?” Genesis raised a brow. 

Angeal took a deep breath and looked behind his shoulder then moved to step out of the doorway. He motioned for whoever it was behind him to step inside and at first the sunlight blotted out their face but it was obvious that it was the silhouette of a woman; legs covered by a knee-length white dress were the first thing visible and was followed by a chest, then shoulders, then a head. Her long hair faded out into a pure white that swayed around the hips while the hair at the top of her head remained what was presumed to be her original hair color. A small smile was visible as the figure stepped in with her hands clasped behind her back in a nervous fashion. 

“Hey guys,” Lady stepped in slowly, a nervous smile on her face as she looked at everyone in the living room one-by-one. 

Genesis and Sephiroth both seized up in their chair, their eyes open in shock at who they saw standing in their home so casually. Cloud was equally surprised, his blue eyes going back and forth between everyone to survey their reactions while Zack came out of the kitchen with a face that soon broke out into a huge smile. 

“I knew it,” he said softly. 

Lady tossed him a grateful nod and looked to the other three. “Can you at least say something, please?” 

Genesis rose from his seat, walking over to her with a grim look on his face that seemed to be hostile at first but she soon found his arms wrapping around her tightly. His hand held the back of her head while his other was on her waist, pushing her towards him as they embraced. His lips were close to her ear and he released a shaky sigh, “I missed you.”

“I did too,” she replied, returning his hug. “I missed you all so much.” Her nose buried itself in the fabric of his shirt and she felt him clutch at her like he would a fragile doll. Genesis rarely showed any signs of emotional weakness, but right now he didn’t care if the world saw how tears of happiness formed in his eyes- making ready to slide down his face. Before he could stop them, one dropped down that she felt on her shoulder and she stroked the back of his head to comfort him. From the angle they were at, only Angeal and her would know that he was shedding tears of joy. 

Footsteps garnered her attention and she looked up to see Sephiroth standing behind Genesis, patiently waiting for his turn- yet his eyes betrayed at his impatience to experience his reunion with her too. Tapping on Genesis, the auburn-haired man reluctantly let go and at the same time, Sephiroth stepped forward. His hand reached up to touch her face; a finger first landing on her cheek to make sure what he was about to touch was solid before his arms completely wrapped around her waist. Her feet were almost picked up off the ground with the way he held her against his body as if she was the sole thing saving him from a storm, but even still he chose to treat her with the most delicate of touches. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and she enjoyed the silky strands of his long silver hair that tickled her bare skin.

When he finally let her down, she put her hands on his chest and saw that Zack and Cloud were behind him. She stepped around Sephiroth and towards Zack first. As soon as she was close to him, he picked her up off her feet and spun her around in a hug. When he set her down, Zack motioned for Cloud to come closer. 

“C’mon Cloud, isn’t she you friend too?” He pulled the blond in by his neck and hugged the both of them in a strangulating bear hug. 

Through his right grip, Lady grinned, “It’s good to see you, Cloud.”

“Hey,” he had a small smile. “You too.”

When Zack finally let them go, her hand went over her heart as she spoke to him, “Thanks Zack. For believing in me.”

“Nah-uh,” he grinned, “we owe _you_ thanks for saving our asses out there on the road. You wouldn’t happen to know what’s going on around the planet would you?”

“Ah,” she crossed her arms and looked up at the ceiling. “Not really,” her eyes returned to Zack, “I kinda just ‘woke up’ not too long ago.”

“Then can I ask-“ Genesis stepped forward, “-how is it that you’re standing here right now?”

“It’s a bit of a long story,” she admitted. “Are you sure you want to hear that now?”

“Yes,” came a united answer. 

“Alright,” she sighed and they moved to situate themselves on the living room couches and she told them her story. With Lady sitting in the middle of Sephiroth and Genesis with Angeal beside them three; Cloud and Zack found a seat on an adjacent couch right next to them.

“I guess I’ll need to start from what I can remember clearly,” she muttered. And so she did. Starting from when she woke up in the palm of Bahamut, staring up at the god with violent confusion. 

“I didn’t know where I was, nor what I was doing there, but he gave me a task,” she crossed her arms with a sour look on her face. “But more like forced it on me.” She then told them of how she’s been flying back and forth from places to help exterminate monsters where she can, but that there was way too much for just one person.. even if that person was given powers from a god. Like how recently she helped the Kingsglaive of Lucis fend off a daemon horde and then- 

“That’s when you met Aerith, right?” Zack interrupted her. “At the Sector 5 church?”

“Yeah,” Lady nodded. “I remember that, insisted on me staying to find out what I was doing there but I got summoned back but then I was sidetracked.” Flying over Niflheim territory, she remembered a man in black that launched a ball of dark energy towards her and that caused her to crash into Tenebrae. When she was done telling that portion of the story, she chuckled to herself. The man in black.. she should’ve known. 

_Ardyn, you clever bastard._ He knew she must’ve been headed back towards Bahamut and found a place to intercept her. 

But if it wasn’t for him, she wouldn’t have been at the same time and place that Zack and Cloud were. Ardyn’s sole mistake was letting her out of his sight even if only for a minute, because that’s when Vanitas came into the scene. How he knocked her out and brought her to his world. When she told them her recount of what happened, Genesis frowned. 

“I’m going to end him,” he said. 

She scoffed. “You don’t even know him!”

“He hurt you, that’s enough of a reason for me to end him.”

“Relax, it was kinda thanks to him that I saw Terra again.”

“Terra’s alive too?!” Zack leaned forward. 

“Yeah,” she said. “But he’s not himself I think.”

Zack’s expression changed. “Did he hurt you too?”

Lady didn’t tell them the entirety of it. Of what young Xehanort and Vanitas did. Not even what Terra did. 

“No,” she said with a strained smile. “Not really.” 

The ghost sensation of hands pinning her down onto a bed with white sheet made her body tingle with fear. When she closed her eyes she could still see golden irises glare at her from the darkness of oblivion. Swallowing, she licked the roof of her mouth to alleviate the dryness and cleared her throat. 

“Anyways,” she continued. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Xemnas. Xigbar too, he helped me with my memories.”

“Xemnas? That guy again?” Angeal raised a brow. “Every time you’re in trouble, he always seems to be part of the equation.”

“He doesn’t want to hurt me,” she assured him. “He helped me escape and now I’m concerned about _his_ well-being.. but that’s just about everything. Now I’m here, with all of you.”

“What will you do now?” Sephiroth asked. 

Genesis looked to the silver-haired man. “What do you mean? She’s staying with us.”

Sephiroth’s green-blue eyes narrowed, “She’s not a doll. She can go wherever she pleases.”

“I thought you would be more concerned after so long, Sephiroth.”

“And I would think as being the oldest here you would have more sense, Genesis.”

Mako eyes engaged in verbal aggression as Zack and Cloud looked nervously to each other. 

“Enough you two,” Angeal said firmly. “Let her decide for herself.” After his chiding, the three of them looked at her.

Clearing her throat, she clasped her hands together in her lap. “I can stay here if you want, I want to be with you guys. If your parents don’t mind, Gen.”

“My mother and father went on a business trip, they’ll be away for a while,” Genesis waved his hand. “With the way things are on the road, I’m sure they’ll be delayed further but I’m sure they won’t mind another guest in the house.” 

“Thank you,” she smiled. “But I probably should check up on everyone else. Y’know, let them know I’m alive?” 

“Who’s up next then?” Zack asked. 

“Hmm,” Lady leaned back into the couch. “Maybe the folks at Radiant Garden. I think Terra had friends he told me about before, Aqua and Ventus I think? I should let them know that he’s okay.. well, sort of.”

“Not gonna say hi to Prince Noctis?” said Angeal. 

She shook her head. “He’ll probably be at Insomnia, where the Crystal is. For now I can’t risk going there unless I want to run in with the Draconian again.”

“But,” Cloud spoke up, “isn’t he a god? Wouldn’t it be hard to hide from something like that?” 

When Zack nudged him, the blond looked bewildered and she chuckled. “Yeah, it would be. But the Crystal is the epicenter of his power, he wouldn’t dare stray too far from it.” She placed a hand over her chest where her sigil marked her skin. “So until I find a way to break this seal, I’m not getting close to that thing.”

“Can I see?” Genesis scooted closer to her as she turned her body towards him. His dusk-blue eyes squinted at the mark and he raised his hand to hover over it. 

“Woah, wait,” she frowned, “what are you doing?”

“I can sense powerful magic,” he said, his eyes glowing vividly. “I think I can break it, if I just…”

“Gen, no, I think that’s a bad idea.”

Granted, Genesis was the most proficient in magic usage out of their group of 1st Class- besides her of course. But still. This seemed counter-intuitive. 

“I-“ Any further protests were halted as a red ring formed in the palm of his hand and struck her chest as a shield of blue light completely devoured his mana, turning his energy against him and the resulting blast blew her back against Sephiroth on the seat next to her. 

“Ow!” She exclaimed loudly, her hand raised to her chest to rub the offender skin. “What are you doing?! Trying to get me killed again?! Stupid!”

Genesis’ face was serious and ignored her plight. “That’s some powerful magic, I couldn’t even make a scratch.”

“Of course not, it belongs to a _god_!” She said through gritted teeth. How is it that he was so happy at her homecoming one second, but blasting her with magic the next? 

“You probably would need someone of equal power to dispel that,” Sephiroth muttered with his hands still securely gripping her. “Normal magic won’t do.”

Genesis stood up, his hands on his hips as he stared directly between her breasts where her sigil was. Then finally he raised his hand again, “Wait. I think I got it this time, let me try again.”

“No way!” Zack jumped up from his seat and clamped a hand over her sigil. “You’re gonna bring the house down if you keep it up, plus you’ll hurt Lady again!”

“Zack..” Angeal’s eyebrow quirked in irritation, his eyes trained on where Zack’s hand was placed. “Watch yourself.”

When Zack the Puppy turned to see what he was talking about, his eyes widened in embarrassment and he quickly withdrew his hand. “S-sorry! I didn’t mean to grope you!”

“I barely felt it, relax,” she crossed her arms to cover her chest; the faint warmth of his hand still lingering on her skin. An internal scream echoed in her head. This was not the reunion she envisioned in her head. 

_This was.._

“Genesis, are you aiming to burn down your own house?”

“I can just get another one, it’s not a big deal.”

“That is not the _point_!”

“Yes, I live under this roof too, so I prefer for it to be intact still.”

_Chaotic._

Their bickering was interrupted as a loud growl came from Lady’s stomach and a red flush bloomed from her cheeks. 

“Are you hungry?” Angeal asked her whilst looking clearly amused. 

“Yeaaah,” she admitted shyly. “I haven’t eaten anything in three years.”

“Well, might as well make dinner here tonight,” he said to her. “Rest up here while you’re at it too, so you can travel safely tomorrow.” His eyes then turned to Genesis and Sephiroth, “And both of you, no more bickering.”

“Yes, mother,” the three of them nodded their heads solemnly. 

“You two,” Angeal then set his sights on Zack and Cloud. “Help me go get the groceries.”

“What?! Why us? No fair, Angeal!” Zack pouted. 

“Because you ate all the food earlier..” Cloud sighed. “Come on, let’s just go.”

“Fineee,” he relented and hopped up as the three of them made their way to the front door. 

Before they left, Angeal turned to Lady and smiled. “Make yourself at home, we’ll be back soon.” 

*******

Zack leaned against a tree with his arms behind his head to watch the gathering stars above. He hummed a small tune that he couldn’t quite recall where he got it from but that didn’t stop him from humming it nonetheless. It was getting chilly out but for the most part it didn’t bother him, he had just gotten back from a run after all, so the offending winds felt good on his skin. 

“Hey there,” a voice joined in on his humming. “That’s a nice tune.”

He peeked to the side to see Lady standing beside him, her dress looking even more ethereal under the moonlight. “Hey,” he grinned. “Whatcha doing out here?”

“Just came to see what you were up to,” she leaned against the tree with him. “They’re busy cooking at the house, so I decided to take a walk.”

“I went for a run myself, it’s pretty nice to get fresh air don’t you agree?”

“It is.”

They both stood in silence for a bit, looking up at the stars together until Zack glanced over at her. 

“You still wearing that dress? Aren’t you cold?” He asked. 

“This?” She tugged on the cloth of her dress. “No, not really. Maybe I’ll ask to borrow a shirt from someone at the house.”

“Hmm, oh! That’s right,” Zack moved to stand in front of her, blocking her body against his and the trunk of the tree. He moved his arm to show her the white cloth that hung around his arm; the same cloth that she ripped from her armor to wrap around his arm when he was injured. “I kept this on after I suspected it was you,” he said with a proud grin. 

“That’s sweet,” she smiled, “but.. probably unsanitary. Did your wounds heal okay at least?”

“Hey! I washed and kept it clean, don’t worry. The wounds healed a loonngg time ago. I kinda just kept it for good luck I guess. I still owe you one for saving me out there.”

“Yeah, I suppose you do,” she tapped on her chin and leaned forward with a mischievous glint in her eye. “I know!” She raised a finger. “How ‘bout _one_ date?”

If it wasn’t for the shade of the tree, Lady would’ve seen the pink flush across Zack’s cheeks. 

“What?” He said dumbly. 

After regarding him for a moment to gauge his reaction, she chuckled. “I’m joking, that’s your line isn’t it?” Turning her gaze back to the sky, she smiled, “I remember our date those years ago. I had fun.”

“Yeah,” he cleared his throat, “I did too. Y’know.. we could always go on another one.”

“That’d be nice,” she mused. “Where would we go this time?”

Zack placed his hand on the tree, right on the spot beside her head. “It’ll be a surprise, but I’ll find something fun for us to do.”

“Heh, what if you’re too busy?”

“Me? Never.”

“Alright, pinkie promise me we’ll have our second date,” she held out her pinkie.

With his other hand, he wrapped his smallest finger around hers and they shook it once to seal the deal. 

“Hey,” he said when he took back his hand. “Did you wanna go for a walk around the village again?”

“Oh, I-“

“Hey!! Dinner’s about ready,” Genesis stepped out of his house and waved to them. “Are you coming? We’re starting without you!”

“Coming!” Lady called to him and she gave Zack an apologetic smile. “Maybe next time okay?” She stood on her tiptoes to reach the top of his head, “Zack the Puppy, hehe.”

“Oh, c’mon, not you too!” He whined. 

With another giggle, she winked at him and walked towards the house. When she reached Genesis, he said something quietly to her and she laughed. 

“Jealous?” She said loudly. 

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Genesis scoffed and turned around just as she jumped onto his back with him catching her legs to hoist her up. “Watch it!”

“C’mon, carry me for blasting me earlier with your magic, asshole.”

“Fine. Stop squirming so much then!”

“Gen did you grow out your hair?”

Their conversation died out as they both walked into the house, leaving Zack alone in the courtyard to stand under the tree. Another set of footsteps soon got his attention and he turned to see Cloud walking down the dirt path towards him. 

“Is everyone out for a walk tonight?” Zack asked him as the blond approached closer. 

“I just didn’t want to get in the way. Those four seem close,” he motioned to the house. “They probably missed her a lot, huh?”

“Yeah.. they did.”

“I also saw your little stunt. Using that date pick-up line again? You asked Aerith once too but she rejected you.”

“Ouch,” Zack frowned, “you don’t have to say that so bluntly. And she rejected me because she likes someone else.”

“Really?” Cloud asked. “Who?”

“Gods. Cloud, you’re so dense,” Zack laughed quietly. “And besides, she actually used it on me this time.”

“So you two are going on a date? Does that mean..” he trailed off, hoping Zack would catch his meaning. 

“No,” Zack smiled but his eyes shimmered with false hope. 

Through the window where the dining room of the house, he could see Lady helping set up the table and placing plates to accommodate all of them. Behind her, Angeal placed a dish down and reached over to tickle her sides to which she spun around with a huge grin on her face. Reaching over, she took a spoon and tasted the dish then turned around and spoon-fed Sephiroth who looked surprised to suddenly receive a mouthful of food. Genesis took a seat on the opposite end and from the looks of it, said something to Lady that made both Angeal and Sephiroth laugh while she made an irritated face with her cheeks puffed up. 

“I don’t think I can compete with that,” he added quietly as he watched the scene unfold. “Let’s go Cloud, before the food gets cold.”

*******

Lady patted down the baggy t-shirt that covered her, serving as a makeshift nightgown that went down to her thighs. She combed through her hair with fingers in front of a mirror and saw someone walk in her guest room through the reflection. Turning around, she smiled and walked over to take a seat on the edge of her bed. 

“Seph, what’s up?” She asked him as he closed the door behind him. 

“Just checking on you,” he said with a small smile and took a seat beside her on the bed. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine,” her legs dangled over the bed and swung back and forth. The luxury of the large bed was hers to enjoy tonight. “Just a bit tired, but-“ she looked up at him, “-I’m so happy being here with all of you.”

His hand reached to cover hers, hesitating at first before she reached up and grasped his first. “I’m happy too,” he said. “I never thought.. I would see you again. When I close my eyes, I could sometimes still see the blood leaving your body on that day. It-“

She quickly got on her knees on the bed to reach up to hug his neck and bring him close to her. “None of that, I’m here now. It’s okay.”

Grabbing her waist, he lifted her into his lap and gripped her tightly. “I still feel the need to see if you’re real or not.”

Her hand went through the strands of his hair and when she reached his scalp, she tugged slightly and watched his expression grow curious. “See?” She said, “You felt that, so I’m really here. Stop worrying so much.” 

She patted his face and climbed off his lap; lifting up the sheets and tucking herself into the bed. “You should get some rest too,” she reminded him and he nodded. 

“I will,” he said with his hand reaching over to caress her face. “I’ll see you in the morning?” He said it as a question and not as a statement, this told her that he was still the tiniest bit doubtful.

“Yes, you will.”

With her answer further reassuring him, he moved to turn off the lamp but she stopped him with a hand. 

“Can you leave the light on?” She whispered. “Sorry, it’s stupid but I want to be able to see where I am.”

“I understand,” he got up and moved to the couch near the window. “Then I’ll sleep here tonight.”

“You won’t be uncomfortable?” 

“No,” it was his turn to reassure her. “I want to be beside you just in case.” What he really wanted was to ne in bed to hold her, just in case the shadows in the corner of the room made her anxious in any way. But he wanted to make sure she was comfortable first. Earlier he saw her wringing her wrists nervously when she thought no one was looking, with a fearful look in her eye. A telltale sign of when she was lying was always when her eyes quickly glanced down when she was talking. 

It was something she did when she told them of her encounter with the one she called Vanitas and Terra. She wasn’t telling them the entire truth, he could at least tell that much- but he didn’t want to push it. If anything she would open up about it in her own time.

His long legs stretched over the edge of the couch and he nestled his head with a stack of pillows. Overall he was uncomfortable, but when he looked over to see Lady already fast asleep, he himself felt at ease. Closing his eyes, he tried his best to follow her into the depths of slumber. 

*******

Sephiroth awoke when he felt a surge of powerful mako course through the room. His eyes opened immediately and went towards the source of the power; his whole body tensed with alarm when he saw an orb of glowing green light hover over his nose before flying towards the bed where Lady slept. 

Standing up, he saw how the light landed softly above her skin that gathered with the other orbs that appeared over her in a mass of soft light. He watched as they traveled up and down her arms and legs, appearing like glowing veins that traced the flow of her blood. 

_The Lifestream_. 

He was reminded of the gentle hum that came from the mako reactors when he watched her. A cloud of illumination made it look like there was a small nebula of stars that existed in the middle of the room, surrounding her with small bursts of the twinkling luminosity. 

She looked ethereal. And so beautiful. 

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he held out his hand and felt one of the stars suspended in the air float down into his palm and kiss the skin there. It felt warm and welcoming. For the rest of the night, Sephiroth sat in awe at the captivating view of the mini-galaxy that formed in the room, right over the woman that remained unaware of its magnificence. 


	7. VII

“Are you sure you don’t need anything else for the journey?” Angeal watched her pat down her white dress after the wind picked up the bottom hem. 

“Yes, I’ll be fine! Don’t worry,” she smoothed back her hair and folded her hands together in front of her. “You five didn’t have to all see me off, it won’t be the last time I’m here.”

Angeal, Sephiroth, Genesis, Cloud, and Zack stood in front of Genesis’ house to be there for her departure today to Radiant Garden. After their group breakfast, she made it clear that she would leave right away- so some of them tried to stall their meal as long as they could. That was before she realized their little trick and hastened them. 

“If I decide to stay there tonight, I’ll let you guys know,” she reassured them. “Don’t make those faces, I promise I’ll come back.” At this point her words were repetitive, but she had good cause for it. The way they looked at her, they couldn’t believe that it wouldn’t be the last they’ve seen of her. 

“Take care,” Sephiroth offered her a smile and his support which she was grateful for. 

“I will,” she said as she turned around. Closing her eyes, her body became enveloped in bright light that blinded the five behind her. When it died down, they saw Lady once more- but this time, donned in the silver armor that’s been recognized around the world as the mantle of a savior. 

A horned helmet covered her head and she turned to look at them over her shoulder. With a small salute, a set of white wings unfurled from her back and she took off to the sky. Leaving only the settling of dust and a few scatterings of white feathers were the only evidence that she was there. 

*******

Xemnas looked at a picture frame sitting atop Lady’s vanity. It was a picture of those SOLDIER’s that she was friends with and stuck in a smaller frame beside it was a picture of Roxas and Xion smiling at the camera that was taken years ago. He couldn’t fathom having attachments such as these, but then again, here he was. Now that he took a moment to look back at all he’s done, he felt a small tinge of regret. 

All of the old guard of the previous Organization were now gone. It was his fault that Xehanort had to resort to other means to gain what he wants and even as his Nobody, he couldn’t understand what was going on in that old man’s thoughts. His end goal seemed to change and as long as Lady was around- he would try to harvest the light within her. 

Xemnas didn’t know what he was up to, but he knew he had to protect her for he was growing tired of playing pawn to a game he no longer enjoyed.

“Hellooo?” A soft voice echoed from the living room and he saw Lady enter through the front door. 

“In here,” he notified her of his location and soon he heard bare feet padding along the wooden floor towards him. 

She saw him standing in front of her framed pictures. “Nosy, aren’t you?” 

“This is the first time I’ve been in this room,” he looked all around him. “And to think I spent nights thinking of how to dispel the barrier that protects this place.” His golden eyes laid upon her, “To think we were enemies once.”

“I still remember the very first time I saw you,” she smiled at the memory. “You made quite an entrance.” She stood next to him and picked up the picture of Roxas and Xion. “I wonder how these two look now. I bet Roxas grew into a handsome young man and Xion a beautiful young woman.”

“I’ve seen them,” Xemnas admitted. “They have grown. I think you’d be proud of what they’ve become.”

Setting the picture down, she let out a stream of air through puffed cheeks. 

“Is something bothering you?” He asked her, picking up on her minor distress. 

“No, it’s just-“ she turned towards him, “-I’m going to see them today. At Radiant Garden. I guess I’m just a bit nervous, that’s all.”

“Why? I thought you wanted to see them?”

“I do, but after all that. It kinda makes me anxious on how they’ll react”

“There’s only one way to find out, and you’ll never know unless you make the plunge.” Xemnas inched closer to her. “Have you truly regained all of your memories?” 

Nodding slowly, she looked up at him through half-lidded eyes. “Yes, I have. Thank you for helping me the other day. I couldn’t have done it without you.” 

_When I first saw you,_ she thought, _I thought you would never have it in you to show the least bit of remorse or compassion…_ “But now I know you can be kind and that you do care,” she finished aloud in an absent-minded daze. 

“It’s only for you,” he took her hand gently and pressed her palm against his lips. “You bring the best out of me, after all.”

She reciprocated his affection by curling her fingers to cup his face. “Xemnas,” she said softly, “is there a way to save Terra?” 

“Yes.”

“Really? How do you know?”

“Because that boy is a part of me.”

“Excuse me?”

She did remember in the past seeing the similarities between the two, but she thought it was Jenova implanting those images into her mind. She regarded Xemnas and began to see the similarities again. He did look like Terra, but older and yet at the same time he shared some of his characteristics with Xehanort. How was this possible? 

“Allow me to explain,” he said when he saw the confusion in her searching eyes. Taking her hand, he sat her down and began retelling his account of how he came to be. Although most of it didn’t make sense, what with the subject of replicas, hearts, and time-travel being thrown into it. It all seemed a joke, but with how serious he looked, she knew he was telling nothing but his truth. 

“That’s.. very unsettling,” she muttered under her breath after finding the proper adjective for this situation. 

“Terra was driven mad,” said Xemnas. “He was shown timeline after timeline where he couldn’t stop your death no matter how hard he tried. Visions conjured by Xehanort to constantly remind him of how many times he would fail-“

“Unless he gave into the darkness,” she finished for him and he nodded. “So. He was tricked.”

“Yes.”

_Terra.. you big idiot._ “Why?” She asked him, hoping he had the answer. 

“Because of his feelings for you.”

Crossing her arms, she looked down at the carpet just off the edge of her bedside. “So, if you’re a part of him, does that mean whatever feelings you have for me are just an echo of his?”

“No.” His answer was swift and stern which made her jump slightly. “Whatever feelings I’ve developed for you are purely my own, in tandem with the heart you gave me.” He took his hands in hers, “I told you, whatever kindness I offer, it’s only for you.”

“Alright,” she squeezed his hands. “Will you be okay here while I’m gone?”

He looked amused. “I’m sure I’ll manage.”

“I’ll be back to check on you again soon, after I see everyone at Radiant Garden.” When she got up to leave, she felt his hand lingering on hers- not eager to let go. “I’ll be done before you know it, don’t worry.”

She turned to face him. “As you said before, ‘as long as we’re under the same moon’, right?”

“It isn’t the same as being able to embrace you here and now.” His voice was sultry and low; and his grip was gentle but she still couldn’t pull herself away. Eventually she found her back being pressed against the wall with his face inching closer to hers. “Allow me this,” he murmured with his words filled with longing. 

Her arms wrapped around his neck when he leaned close to kiss her jaw. “You’re trembling,” he whispered to her and she only made her grip tighter onto his neck to balance herself. 

When his lips inched closer to hers, she closed her eyes and waited for the impact. How long have they done this? Only to be ripped away from each other at the very last second. Now this was happening and she knew he wanted to cherish every possible moment. 

She was fine with that. 

Because she wanted to as well. 

_“To think we were enemies once.”_ His words echoed in her head and immediately vanished when his lips made contact with hers. 

“Xemnas,” she whimpered his name through closed parted lips that enjoyed the feel of his. Hands gripped the curves of her body and pushed her closer towards his body. Against the chilled leather of his coat, she gasped when his hands roamed and touched her in places where she quivered the most under his fingers. 

Both of his hands then dropped down to hook under her knees and lifted her up. In response, she wrapped her legs around his waist and held onto him for further support. Their lips joined together and in the rare instances where they were apart, they were immediately reunited. 

For Lady it felt like she was being embraced by a past lover. Someone who cherished her dearly although the time they spent was unfortunately short-lived. Every time their body connected in one way or another, a shock was sent up her spine that made her crave the natural warmth that the man exuded. 

For Xemnas, this was a whole new experience. A similar situation happened years ago where he tricked her into thinking he was someone else to gain her affection. But now he didn’t have to conceal himself, he was who he was- and she embraced him for it. 

A new feeling blossomed in his chest and he couldn’t discern what it was. He felt lighter and his fingers tingled as the excitement coursed through his veins. Was this what they called…

_Happiness?_

“Xemnas,” she said, her eyes looking at him with concern as a daze had come over him. “Everything alright?”

He didn’t even realize the effect this new feeling had on him. It felt like a drug and with each deep kiss he shared with her, it felt like he was getting even more addicted. 

“Yes,” he responded through chaste breaths that briefly interrupted their kisses. “I’ve never been better.” 

His lips found its way onto her neck, making sure each and every spot of her flesh was not left un-ravaged. Soft moans escaped her whenever the tip of his tongue glided up across her skin. Fingers dug through the silvery-white tresses of his hair as she tried her best to stop squirming. 

“Xemnas,” she panted, shivering under his warm tongue, “wait, hold on a minute.”

He stopped at her command, not wanting to go any further until she asked him to again. “What is it?”

A blush was still present on her cheeks. “You.. you don’t think we’re going too fast? Maybe we should get dinner first, or something, get to know each other.”

Why was she suddenly becoming shy? It was strange- especially given all that they went through together. It reminded her of what Ardyn said: that sometimes enemies were far more intimate than lovers. 

“Sorry,” she muttered quickly. “I guess I’m just acting weird.”

Xemnas regarded her, carefully watching her for any movements that indicated unease. His hands were still on her and he caressed a strand of her hair. “If you wish for me to properly court you, then consider it done.”

Her heart fluttered and she looked up at him with wide eyes. “Oh! I- alright, then. If that’s the case then maybe we can grab dinner. What do you like to eat?”

Xemnas gave her a blank stare and she swallowed when she thought more about what she just said. _Idiot. You’re just making yourself look like a fool_ , she cursed herself in her head.

“Anything you’d like, I would enjoy,” he answered briefly and she let out a small breath of relief. 

“Sorry,” she muttered. _Why do I feel so nervous?_

“Is it because I remind you of him?” 

Her eyes snapped up to Xemnas and for a brief moment she saw the warm brown replace the silver-white, and the eyes turn into a deep blue. Blinking, she shook her head. “No. You’re your own person. I shouldn’t be so nervous around you. I just..” 

“Then let us take our time,” a finger lifted up her chin. “When you say that you see me as my own person, it gives me this..” he looked as if he was looking for the proper description of this newsensation. “Lightness. Perhaps joy?”

She leaned her forehead against his chest and sighed. “Because you _are_ your own person. Never let anyone take that away from you.” 

Lady got on her tiptoes just to peek over his shoulder and saw the clock on her nightstand which was still miraculously running. In red analog characters, it notified her of the time and she looked back to him. “Will you be okay here?” 

“Of course,” he said. “I’ll await your return.” 

He looked sad and she felt her heart ache at the thought of leaving him alone again- so she got on her tiptoes once more to whisper close to his ear. “As long as we’re under the same moon, right?” 

*******

Lady collected herself, pinching her arms and taking deep breaths that turned to hyperventilating which made her pinch her arm again. 

“Calm down!” she hissed to herself. “Calm. Down. Just say..”

_Say what? Hey guys! I’m not dead, isn’t that crazy?_

“Ah, gods, fuck me,” she closed her eyes and poked her head out from the alleyway to look up at the large castle looming over the town. Radiant Garden. It was aptly named, for when she descended from the skies, she could see the many flower beds that dotted the town with its colorful blooms. Water poured from cobblestoned walls that were half-covered with twisting ivy, giving her the idea that the town was fashioned as a sanctuary for the restless. Even the buildings which housed the local businesses and townspeople gave off a quaint charm. 

It was nice here. She wouldn’t mind settling down here if given the choice to. 

“Okay,” she breathed. “Once more, from the top.” It was practice. She had performed the same ritual days ago when she dropped into Banora to re-introduce herself to those three as well as Cloud and Zack. It was a lot of pacing and self-scolding, but she managed to bite the bullet and dive in immediately. However, that was because she would only have to face those three. 

In here.. she would face all of those from the old Organization as well as some of the Keyblade Wielders. 

_Mm, fuck._ The thought of all those faces staring at her after such a long while shot an immense amount of anxiety into her system. “Okay, maybe I should-”

“Miss, you okay?”

Lady jumped and immediately looked behind her to see a young girl peer up at her with large blue eyes. Her auburn-red hair was cut short and hung by her pointed chin; when an overhead shadow of a bird darkened the color of her hair briefly, Lady swore she saw Xion in her face. 

“Yeah,” Lady forced a smile. “Sorry, I was just.. uh, taking a break.”

“You seemed troubled, so I wanted to make sure you were okay,” the girl smiled. “My name’s Kairi, it’s nice to meet you!”

Lady smiled and shook the outstretched hand that Kairi offered her. “My name.. well, my real name isn’t really important. You can call me whatever you like.”

Kairi squinted up at her and Lady raised an eyebrow. “Is something the matter?”

“Oh, nothing!” Kairi seemed to be lost in thought, her blue eyes constantly going back and forth on her features. “You just.. look familiar. Do you know Xion?”

“Ah, yes, I do!” 

Kairi relaxed. “Oh, so you know Ienzo and Roxas too? Lea and Isa? Sora and Riku?”

Confusion filled her. Some of those names were familiar to her yet some didn’t. “Ienzo? Lea and Isa? Who is that?” _Wait, Xigbar said those were their names now._

“Well, if you know Xion, I’m sure you know them too. C’mon, I’ll show you!” Kairi tugged on Lady’s hand and the latter could do naught but follow her. 

“First time in Radiant Garden?” Kairi asked her. “You seemed lost, you sure everything’s okay?”

“Yes,” Lady assured her. “I appreciate you helping me out.”

“You never told me your name, what was it?”

“Well,” Lady looked up at the passing buildings with great interest. “I don’t really tell anyone my real name.”

“Why not?”

“Long story, I’m sure it’ll bore you.”

“I’m sure it won’t be as boring as you say, would you tell me after you meet Xion?” 

Lady smiled. “Sure, why not?”

“Alright, _lady_ ,” Kairi smiled back at her and Lady’s widened into a grin. The situation just now- it wasn’t all too different from the time she was first given that nickname and decided to stick with it. 

“Great! I hope you like it here, it’s quiet most days but there’s fun celebrations sometimes. Oh- and there’s ice cream of course!” Kairi then started rambling about the perks of the town, never stopping her streak of excitement when going over each shop stand and what they sold with great detail. When they bumped into another stranger, Kairi would smile and greet them before heading back on their trail towards the castle. 

This girl seemed to know her way around here, even with the nook and crannies that spanned each new area they passed into. She was fortunate to run into her, otherwise she would’ve spent the majority of the day nervously pacing in an alleyway. When they reached a lowered courtyard that was close to the castle, Lady spotted the small depression on the stonework that happened the last time she landed- or, crashed there. 

“Hmm, wonder where Sora and Riku are,” Kairi mumbled to herself but stopped suddenly. 

“What’s wrong?” Lady asked her. 

Kairi’s eyes trained on a shadow on the ground that darted from under the building till it reached the courtyard. Then, the shadow rose from a two-dimensional shape into a small bug-eyed creature. It’s body was pure black, giving rise to dark purple smoke that casted a haze over it’s beady yellow eyes. 

“Heartless!” Kairi let go of Lady’s hand as a Keyblade formed in it. It’s handle curved into the body of the blade and looked as if it was the embodiment of land meeting sea with the way the handle contained engraved flowers on one side and a sparkling blue on the other. The blade itself was rose-golden in color and stretched out to form a curling flower at the teeth and it shimmered when it was in her hand, ready to be used. “Stay back,” she told Lady. “I’ve got this!”

Before Lady could even off her help, Kairi ran towards the creature and with one fell swoop, finished it off. Lady watched as the heart that was released from it floated up towards the sky and when she thought it would be free at last, she saw as shadowy tethers erupted from the ground and immediately captured it again. 

Trapped in shadow, the heart descended once more into darkness and Lady was unnerved by this. Even Kairi saw it and looked disturbed, as if what just took place was not supposed to happen. 

Lady walked over to the Keyblade wielder with a serious expression. “What was that? Aren’t hearts released by the Keyblade supposed to go back to Kingdom Hearts? Or am I mistaken?”

“Y-yeah,” Kairi’s eyes were still fixated on where the heart was snatched out of the sky. “It.. that’s never happened before. What’s going on..?”

More shadows appeared on the ground and Lady nudged Kairi on her shoulder. “Stay sharp, there’s more coming.” Kairi snapped back into her battle stance as Lady turned, both of them with their backs to each other and facing the incoming horde that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. 

“Run!” Kairi said to her. “I’ll take care of them.”

“That’s my line,” Lady uttered. “But I don’t think using the Keyblade is a good idea. Unless you want more hearts to be captured.”

Kairi’s grip on her Keyblade loosened. “I- then what should I do?”

“You leave it to me.” 

When Kairi turned around to look at Lady, she was blinded by a brilliant flash of light that illuminated the whole courtyard. Sparkling white orbs floated in the air around them and when Kairi squinted through the light, she saw the silhouette of a woman dressed in silver armor. 

  
In her hand was a silver-handled sword with an opalescent blade that looked to be forged from moonlight. Holding it up, the orbs of light collected onto the edge of the blade and filled it with a light so bright that it filled the courtyard once more and when the light died down, it left the two girls alone. 

Kairi watched as the hearts that were released had a protective barrier formed around it and instead of shadowy tethers- a glowing green substance floated around it before leading it upwards to the sky. 

“What was that?” Kairi said, her eyes filled with awe. 

“I led them back to the Lifestream,” Lady muttered. “When it’s safe for them to travel to Kingdom Hearts, I’ll set them free.” 

“Kairi!” 

Two sets of footsteps made their way to them and Lady immediately saw familiar faces as they got closer. 

_Sora, Riku!_ The two looked older. Both of them cut their hair a little shorter than last she saw them, and their faces looked more matured. Sora was taller now yet Riku still bested him at height as the silver-haired Keyblade wielder was greater than the brunet. When the two of them approached Kairi, Lady noticed their clothes had a similar style to them.

Kairi’s was a short pink dress with a hood that had tiny horns sticking out of it and black cross-hatched patterns covering the white lace of her bottom hem; Sora’s was the same style as she last saw him, except it was almost completely red and black with his pants longer to accommodate his legs, it was funny how he almost specifically preferred baggy clothing; Riku’s was the same style as Sora’s in a way, with his short-sleeved dark grey leather jacket with a white v-neck beneath it. His pants were loose and ended at his lower calf, leaving space for boots to tie up where the skin of his leg was exposed. 

All three of them looked to be wearing casual clothes. Although loose and providing almost no protection, Lady sensed a bit of magic woven into the fabrics that comprised their outfits and it all clicked into place. It was the perfect type of clothing for the traveling Keyblade wielder. 

“Who’s this?” Sora’s blue eyes turned to Lady and she froze. She almost forgot her face was concealed by her helmet and in a way she was thankful for that. 

“We saw a huge pillar of light appear,” Riku looked at Kairi. “Was that you?”

“Some Heartless attacked us and I was fighting them,” Kairi looked to Lady. “It got hairy for a minute before she saved me.”

Riku’s eyes narrowed. “So.. who are you?”

“Don’t be like that,” Kairi nudged him. “We should take her to the castle first. Then she’ll tell us her name!”

“The castle? Why?”

“She’s a friend of Xion’s.”

“Xion? I don’t remember any of Xion’s friends having any type of fancy armor like that,” Riku said as he peered at the eye-catching silver. 

“Doesn’t matter,” Kairi pouted. “She helped me, it’s the least we could do, right?”

“Riiight, Riku?” Sora nudged him too and Riku relented with a sigh. 

“Fine.”

The three of them lead Lady towards the entrance to the castle. Up the ramp and through a stone arch entrance with a heavy iron gate was a flight of stairs leading up to the front door of the epicenter of Radiant Garden. 

Sora and Kairi bounded up the stairs, both of them laughing as they raced to see who would be the first to reach the top. Riku lagged behind, watching the two of them go on without him and Lady watched his expression carefully. 

It seemed like he was used to watching those two go on without him. 

When Riku felt eyes upon him, he turned to see Lady facing him. “Why don’t you take that thing off?” he motioned to the helmet concealing her and she merely shook her head. “Fine,” he shrugged and continued walking. 

At the top of the stairs, Lady was surprised to see no one standing guard and Kairi seemed to be as well. “Hmm, guess Aeleus and Dilan already went inside. We should head in too,” Kairi muttered. 

“We’re always late, aren’t we?” Sora scratched the back of his head. “Man, we’re gonna get chewed out again.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure they won’t mind.”

“Come on you two, we’ll be even more late if we stay out here longer,” Riku walked past the both of them and opened up the door. He motioned for everyone to file in so Kairi and Sora both walked inside; his sea-green eyes looked to Lady and waved for her to follow them in and so she did. Once inside, she was greeted with a high-vaulted ceiling and twin sets of stairs that rounded up to the second floor. Climbing the flight of stairs, she followed Sora and Kairi as they walked down a hallway that was dimly lit. Her footsteps were the loudest out of the other three, with the way her heeled sabatons collided with the polished floor with every step she used to advance. 

Soon the sound of their walking was drowned out by voices coming out of a room with the doors cracked open. Inside, she could see natural light pour out from within and when Sora stuck his head inside, the voices got louder- as if they were irked upon seeing his face. 

“Late- again! What’s the point of having a phone if you don’t even answer it?” 

Lady froze, that voice sounded so familiar and the closer she got to the door, the more voices she could recognize. 

Sora walked in with Kairi following close behind. “My bad!” she heard Sora say. “But I’m here now!” 

“Just hurry up and take a seat. Roxas even came early today, why couldn’t you?”

She felt her mouth run dry. She would see Roxas again after so long. What would he look like now? Taller? Longer hair? Maybe he dyed it? Was he happy? Would he be mad if he saw her again?

Riku walked ahead of her and held the door, “You comin’?”

“Y-yeah..” Lady muttered and Riku frowned upon hearing her voice. When she passed him by, he almost grabbed her by the shoulder to stop her. 

“Are you..?” He stopped himself and shook his head. “Nevermind, forget I said anything.” 

Inside the large, rounded room was an equally rounded table that had enough seats for everyone and was built with the intent to have everyone able to see each other with ease. And although there were plenty of places to sit in the room, some of the ones present chose to stand either close to the table or near the tall double-paned windows lining the room that allowed sunlight inside. Vases of flowers decorated some of the small tables that dotted the room, the most prominent one being a porcelain bud vase containing a single white alstroemeria flower that sat in the middle of the table between the ones present. 

When Riku and Lady entered, everyone seemed too busy scolding Sora or arguing amongst themselves on whatever it was they’re doing to notice the two of them standing at the door- that is, until someone did take note of them. 

“Riku, did you bring a guest?”

The silver-haired Keyblade wielder made a face. “Uh, no, this is.. sorry, I didn’t catch your name,” he turned to Lady who was snapped out of her anxious daze. 

Though they couldn’t see her face, she saw theirs. And it took her breath away. 

Sitting or standing in the room were all of her old tenants. Their curious eyes looking her way. Those eyes that used to be filled with cold darkness now had a shine to them that proved they were currently experiencing a life worth living. These past years had been kind to them, would she tear all that apart if she were to take off her helmet here and reveal herself to them? Ignorance was almost always the most peaceful way to live. 

All of her previous tenants, those who previously occupied seats within the Organization XIII now ogled her with peculiarity. Lea and Isa stood next to each other and shared looks of silent amusement at their new guest, the only thing that changed about the both of them were Isa’s eyes that were now a light green and Lea’s upside-down tears that were no longer taking up space below his eyes. Both of them wore a dark navy uniform of sorts, with brass buttons crossing over their chest and identical bands worn on their right arms; one being depicted with a sun, while the other was a crescent moon being eclipsed.

Elrena and Lauriam sat on one side, both of them looking awfully bored yet Lauriam looked to their new guest with expected mirth; his long pink hair was tied up into a low bun and hung over the white button-up shirt he wore, for Elrena- she still had the same hairstyle as before as well as the sour look that was always present on her face. Though even with that face, she was still gorgeous with her dark green blouse tucked into her navy pants. 

Emyd sat on a couch with his fingers dangling dangerously over the strings of the acoustic guitar he had laid across his lap. It was obvious that he wanted to play, but whenever a string was accidentally plucked, Elrena would shoot him a glare that immediately silenced his playing. He wore a loose shirt with the sleeves ripped off with jeans tattered over his knees, a contrasting appearance to the suave man he sat beside. Rould appeared to be waiting patiently, only occasionally reaching up to fix the lapel of his beige suit jacket. His pants were matching in color to his jacket and looked to be ironed out without a crinkle in sight, except for the creases that formed when he crossed his leg over the other. 

Dilan and Aeleus wore the same uniform Lea and Isa had on and for the most part retained the same guarded look they had from long past; next to them stood Even and Ienzo who were stationed near a holographic screen that displayed a map of what looked to be the world, specifically the area near Insomnia. A smaller figure stood next to the four scientists, a girl with shoulder-length black hair tied back with a lavender ribbon. Along with Even and Ienzo, she too wore a white lab coat that dangled down to her ankles. 

_Xion._ Lady immediately recognized her and held her breath. _If Xion is there, then Roxas must be…_ Her eyes fell down upon a blond boy that Sora sat next to. 

When he stood up, his blue eyes immediately went over to her and she held in her breath as if the lack of oxygen could give her the ability to disappear. His blond hair was swept to the side and a bit messy, under his eyes were bags that indicated his lack of sleep. He wore a black tank top that hugged his torso snugly and went over the fitted dark gray cargo pants that ended at his ankles. Even through the fabric of his shirt, she could see the taut muscles that developed over time he spent training and much like Sora, he grew in height. He was no longer the boy she left alone at the apartments. 

“You can’t just bring random people here,” Roxas frowned and it stung to hear that, even knowing that he had no possible idea as to who she was. 

“I thought you said we needed allies,” Riku fired back at the blond. “So quit your whining. Kairi vouched for her, so I guess that’s fine.”

“Don’t speak for all of us,” Elrena scoffed. “You didn’t even introduce her.”

Lady saw Xion’s eyes trained directly at her, frozen in spot until someone called her name. 

“Xion, what’s the matter?” Ienzo asked her discreetly and the girl shook her head. 

Moving around the table to stand a few feet away from her, Xion gulped. “Can you.. can you take off your helmet?” She asked timidly. 

“What’s gotten into Xi?” Sora nudged Roxas and the blond shrugged in response. 

Lady released a breath. She supposed she didn’t have a choice. All eyes were on her, it was now or never. 

She then moved to stand right where the sunlight poured directly into the room, casting a lighted shadow that reflected off of her armor. Her hands slowly reached up to grab both sides of her helmet and carefully pried it off her head all the while her heart pumped against her chest forcefully. As soon as the metal slipped off her head, the sunlight that bounced off it concealed her face temporarily but as soon as her hands dropped and the helmet vanished from her hands- a white dress took the armor’s place and her hair fell down near her waist. 

She revealed herself to the others, looking at them with a halo of sunlight outlining her figure. Not knowing what else to say, she only had a soft smile resting on her face. 

Xion’s hands shot up to cover her mouth as tears formed at the corner of her eyes. “It’s you,” her voice was muffled behind her hands, “it’s really you..! Zack wasn’t wrong!” 

Lady’s hand moved to pet Xion’s head. “You’ve grown beautiful, look at the woman you’ve become.” 

“Lady!” Xion moved to hug her tightly, crying onto her chest. 

Stroking her hair, Lady looked over her head to see Roxas stand up immediately from his seat. Walking over to the two women, his eyes never left Lady’s face and were filled with immeasurable disbelief. When Xion sensed Roxas standing behind her, she reluctantly let go of Lady and moved to the side for him to see her in her entirety. 

Roxas stood in front of her now, his face still smacked with incredulity. “Is it really-”

He was interrupted when Lady reached up to squeeze his face with her fingers, looking up at him with a cheeky grin. “Yes, it is,” she said as tears rolled down the slopes of her cheeks. “You’ve grown so much, Roxas.”

His arms wrapped around her and brought her up towards him, hugging so tightly that she felt the breath exit her lungs quickly. “I can’t believe you’re here,” his voice was stifled as he fought back the urge to tremble. 

“Hey, don’t forget about me!” Sora appeared and wrapped his arms around Lady’s and Roxas’ necks, pulling them down with him as he huddled them together. “Wow, you really are here, Lady!”

“You’re ruining my moment,” Roxas hissed at Sora to which his counterpart grinned sheepishly. 

Lea was the next to join the group hug, his spiky red hair tickling her nose as he snatched her out of Sora and Roxas’ arms. He spun her around and grasped her tightly. “Damn,” he said when he held her still, grinning widely. “I didn’t think we would ever see you again, but here you are! Isa-“ he looked towards the blue-haired man, “-you seein’ this?”

“Yes,” Isa responded as he came over. “I have eyes.” He stopped and Lady saw a small although genuine smile on his lips. “Though, it’s.. good to see you again.”

“Hey,” Lea wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Aren’t you.. cold in that?” He pointed at her dress. 

“Um, no,” she whispered. “Why?”

He leaned in to whisper in her ear with a hand covering his mouth. “Nothing, don’t worry. You still look really cute.”

“You’re making her uncomfortable,” Isa crossed his arms. 

“Am not.”

“Are too.” 

A bolt of lightning separated the two of them, scorching the polished white floor beneath and leaving a black mark and Elrena stepped in between them. Her green eyes scrutinized Lady as she got closer with her chin held up high. 

“So..” she sniffed. “You’re back.”

Lady’s eyes were hopeful. “Did you miss me too?”

“Don’t be stupid,” she made a face but she turned her face as a tear slipped from her eye. “I didn’t.”

“No need to be so cruel,” Lauriam patted her shoulder when he moved to stand beside her. “Go on, show her how much you missed her.”

When Elrena turned back to Lady, she saw how her hands were held out to hug her. “Dammit,” Elrena muttered to herself as she stepped forward and grabbed Lady to hold her. “You idiot-!” 

“I want a hug too!!” Emyd jumped onto their embrace and Elrena held him back with an arm and an extremely vexed facial expression. 

“Back off!” she hissed. 

“But I missed her so much!!” Emyd whined as he pushed against her. “C’mon, Elly!”

“I told you to stop calling me that!” Elrena shrieked as she tried to protect Lady from the blond’s advances. 

Through the chaos, Lady saw Rould and Lauriam calmly stand to the side. 

“Is this a bad time to ask how this is possible?” Lauriam said with a smile. 

“Perhaps you must wait your turn,” Rould chuckled, looking at all the people trying to snatch Lady out of Elrena’s grip. 

“I would like to know how it is you’re here!” Ienzo popped up beside her, his excitement visible as he tried to reel it in. “Oh gods, this is wonderful, I never thought this possible!“

“You’re staying here right?” Xion pushed her way to the front. “With us?” 

“I, er-,“ Lady’s own voice was drowned out with the many others that flooded hers. 

From the back, watching the chaos ensue, was Even, Aeleus, and Dilan. Their faces plastered with astonishment at the frenzied argument that took place in their meeting. All of the old tenants’ attempts at trying to get Lady’s attention as she tried to split it evenly between all of them. 

“My goodness,” Dilan muttered. 

“It seems they’re happy to have our landlady back,” Even looked over to him. 

Kairi’s face lit up in recognition and she walked over to the crowd surrounding Lady. “Oh! Now I know why you looked so familiar,” she grinned triumphantly. “You’re that landlady Sora and Riku told me so much about.”

“Yeah!” Sora grinned. “Her apartments were really nice. I kinda miss it there. We should all go back!”

“It suddenly got too loud in here,” Riku sighed. 

“Guys stop!” Roxas pulled Lady into his arm and placed his body in front of hers in a protective stance. “We’re overwhelming her, one at a time!”

“Whatever twerp, have it your way,” Elrena frowned. “But I want to know-“ her eyes moved to sit on Lady, “- _how_?”

“Well, it’s a bit of a long story,” Lady replied, feeling all of their eyes on her. 

“Then shorten it,” Riku told her. 

“Alright then. A god revived me and we tussled in a realm where time didn’t matter and when I lost he made me do his bidding all the while I was suffering with amnesia.”

“Woah woah woah,” Lea stopped her. “Did this happen right _after_ we all.. y’know.”

“Yeah,” Lady nodded. “I'm assuming so. Because I remember waking up in his hand.”

“ _Whose_ hand?” Ienzo asked. 

“Bahamut,” she answered. 

“The _king_ of the gods revived _you?!_ ” Xion gasped. “That’s.. that’s pretty cool though, right?”

“Is that what this is?” Elrena reached over and pulled down the upper hem of Lady’s dress to reveal the blue mark on her skin between her cleavage. “I could smell the magic from a mile away, it’s strong- whatever it is.”

Lea squinted at the Bladekeeper’s mark. “I’m sure we can fix this, right? It’s just magic.”

Isa scoffed. “Magic from a _god._ Yours can’t possibly compare.”

“Oh yeah?” the red-head took that as a challenge. “Watch this.” He held out his hand as a shining light appeared and stretched out while flames overtook it’s ethereal body; replacing it with a long Keyblade that had the base of one of his spiked red chakrams that fed the fire that was the blade. Orange and yellow sparks were lost in the red quartz-like blade and it flowed brighter the more it rested in his palm. 

“Huh, you finally got it to show up,” said Roxas. 

“Bet your ass I did, now check this out!” Lea said with a smug smirk on his face. Backing away, Sora saw what he was aiming to do and joined in on the plan unannounced. 

“Oh, I know what you’re trying to do! Good idea!” Sora summoned his Keyblade as well, one with an iron blade with teeth that formed the shape of a crown fixated with a golden handle. 

“Wait, what are you guys trying to do?” Lady backed away when Roxas stopped acting as her makeshift shield. 

“Hold still,” said Lea, “maybe we can get that mark off of you.”

“Don’t you dare-” Lady’s protests were cut off as two beams of light shot at her chest and glowing blue swords appeared in front of her to protect her from the incoming beams. Unfortunately, the resulting blast threw her backwards through the double doors and onto the wall beyond it. 

Her back made a hollow thud as she slumped down and caught her breath, her chest feeling like a behemoth had danced on it. Coughing, she pushed herself up and glared at the two guilty persons. “I told you not to try!” she stalked over to the two of them. “If Xehanort or Genesis couldn’t get it off, you wouldn’t be able to either!”

“Xehanort?” Xion frowned. “Did you run into him?”

“Yeah,” Lady dusted herself off. “After Vanitas knocked me out, he took me to the old Organization castle.”

“Ugh, that place sucked,” Emyd said. “It was always so cold.. and dark.”

“Vanitas, that guy Ventus told us about?” Sora looked at Roxas and then at Lady. “What did he look like?”

“Well.. he looks like you actually,” Lady pointed at Sora. “Just with black hair and golden eyes. He’s a bit rude too.” 

“Looks like Sora, but acts nothing like him?” Riku tilted his head up to look at the ceiling. “Kinda wanna meet this guy.” His eyes then opened wide as if he remembered something and looked at her, “Hey, was Terra there?”

“Yeah,” she said quietly. “He was.”

“How is he?” Riku stepped closer to her. “Why didn’t you come back with him?” 

“I’m sure she had a reason,” Lauriam put a hand on his shoulder to calm him. “If Xehanort is involved, I’m sure Terra is there against his will.”

“I don’t think he’s completely himself,” Lady continued. “I’m sorry, I would’ve brought him with me but..”

“It’s fine,” Riku let out a sigh. “At least we know for sure where he is, Aqua and Ven will be relieved.”

“Let her rest, and maybe we can talk about a rescue,” Ienzo offered. “For now,” he went over to take her hand, “we’re just glad you’re back with us, Lady.”

*******

“Is this your girlfriend?” Lady teased as she held up a picture of a girl with twisted brown curls and bright green eyes. She was standing beside two other boys; one with dirty blond hair that was held up in slight curls on his head, while the other had dark brown hair that was spiked up with a red bandana wrapped around his forehead. Roxas stood beside those three and on the bottom corner as they were posed in front of an old mansion. On the corner it read: ‘Twilight Town ghost hunting!’ and was dated three years ago. 

“That’s just Olette,” Roxas mumbled as he pulled up a chair beside her bed. “Come on, you should get some rest.”

She looked up at him with a pout. “You’re telling me a handsome young man like you hasn’t had a girlfriend all this time?”

“It’s not really a priority of mine,” he muttered and she almost chuckled at how sullen and deep that sounded. 

“C’mon, no girl has _ever_ caught your interest?”

Roxas threw a glance in her direction and sat on the chair. “Get some sleep, I’ll stand watch.” 

“You’re not going to rest?” 

“You said Xehanort wanted something from you, there’s always a risk he might send one of his goons to try and capture you again. I’m not taking that chance.”

Roxas felt arms wrap around his neck and lips press against his cheek. “Thanks, Rox, I could always feel safe with you.” 

“No problem.” His cheeks heated up, especially on the spot where she kissed him. He was thankful he was facing away from her. 

She squeezed his arm before she slithered back into the sheets. “You been working out?”

“Yeah, with Sora. Sometimes with Axe- Lea, and Isa.”

“So tell me, what else have I missed while I was gone?” She made herself comfortable in the bed, pulling up the blanket to her nose. “I want to know everything.”

Her words wanted to make him laugh. Phrasing her absence as if she was just going on a long trip as opposed to dying right before his eyes. But she was here now with a stroke of luck, whatever happened in the past- he’d do his damndest to not let it happen again. 

“Nothing much,” he started. “We did our best to try and go about our lives, I guess. I made some new friends at Twilight Town- the girl and two boys you saw. Lea and Isa are training to be Keyblade wielders. Elrena, Lauriam, Emyd, and Rould used to be Keyblade wielders before they became Nobodies, who woulda thunk?” He chuckled to himself, “It’s weird, thinking of all we’ve been through and all we’ve done. And today, you showed up outta nowhere..”

He took a deep breath. “I missed you, I really did. I thought about you everyday. About how we were supposed to get ice cream together. But I guess we can do that now since you’re really here, huh?” 

He didn’t dare look at her face as his chest tightened up. He might as well tell her now. “Lady, I want you to know something. This whole time, I’ve felt the same about you… What I mean to say is that the reason I didn’t try to get a girlfriend was I kept trying to find ones similar to you.” His whole body felt tight, like he didn’t want to let his feelings be known because it just felt so damn awkward. 

“After all this time I thought how I feel about you would disappear, but no, it’s still there. After all this time, Lady.. I still love you.”

Roxas waited for a response with bated breath, already regretting how much he spilled out in just one sitting with her. It was embarrassing. When it was silent, he gulped and was tempted to look behind him to see what her face looked like. Would it be shocked? 

He looked up just as a light green orb touched the tip of his nose and rose up to hover around his head. Following the orb, he saw many others start to gather behind him and he got up quickly as streams of light flitted past his body. 

“Lady-!” he stopped when he saw that she was fast asleep and looked to be this whole time. Her silence should’ve been a dead giveaway. 

Streams of soft light floated up and down her body, traveling through her veins and sliding down the tips of her hair as fine waves of energy. It touched her face before sinking into her body and imbuing her with whatever energy it had confined within its spiritual container. 

Roxas sank back into his seat and let out a relieved sigh. An article he saw sitting on Xion’s desk a while back came to mind, with a headline so bold that he couldn’t forget it anytime soon. “Lady of the Lifestream, huh?” he murmured to himself. “Fitting.” 

**A few hours later…**

Lady jolted awake, looking over to Roxas who had his arms crossed and his head constantly bobbing as he did his best to sleep in that uncomfortable position. Poor boy. He looked so sleep-deprived earlier, she could only imagine how his body screamed for rest now. 

Slipping out of her bed, she wrapped a blanket around his shoulders and smoothed down his hair. Walking over to the balcony, she quietly unlatched the doors and slipped out to feel the night breeze flit through her legs. With her hands on the parapet, she looked down to see Radiant Garden suspended in a serene darkness with only the moon reflecting on the fountains serving as their sole source of light. 

Climbing atop the parapet, white wings unfurled behind her and she took off into the sky. 

*******

Kneeling in the field of glowing, white alstroemerias was a hollow knight that stood guard over a meaningless grave. 

Lady waded through the sea of light to get to him, carefully stepping around the delicate stars that bloomed in this once hollow crater. 

When she got to the hollow knight, she knelt on the ground in front of him. Holding his helmet in her hands, she caressed the cold metal and let out a breathy sigh. 

“I’m so sorry, Terra,” she murmured, hoping the lost Keyblade wielder could hear her lamenting. “Just wait a little longer for me.”

Getting back up, she walked away from the epicenter of the crater but stopped when she heard metallic sounds grinding against each other. Turning around, she was surprised to see the hollow armor had moved towards her with his cape trailing behind him- fast, as if an actual person was inside. She met him halfway and when she got close enough, he raised his hand slowly until she felt the metal brush her cheeks softly as she leaned into his touch. 

It felt cold on her skin but the warmth from her body made up for the lack of temperature from the other. “I’ll come back soon,” she spoke openly to the vestiges of his will. “I’ll save you, I promise.”

Standing on her tiptoes, she grasped both sides of his helmet and kissed where his forehead would be. “Goodbye,” she said as her feet planted firmly back onto the ground and turned to walk away. The lingering scent of the alstroemeria flowers became the only thing that kept her company as she left. 


	8. VIII

Roxas woke with a jolt and immediately winced when he felt the nape of his neck ache painfully. He stretched his back and felt the tips of his shoulder blades dig into his spine as retribution for making his vertebra slump in such a way for a whole night. 

Looking behind him, he expected to see Lady sleeping soundly but jumped up when all he saw were empty sheets. His eyes frantically searched the room for any signs of break-ins and he cursed himself for falling asleep so easily last night. He then walked over to the window, seeing as it was partially open when he made sure it was closed tight before he took watch; he looked over the balcony and when he saw nothing, he rubbed his closed eyes with a hand. 

Was she really gone? 

He walked back inside the room and heard the door opening slightly. A relieved sigh escaped his lips when he saw that Lady poked her head inside before her body followed. 

“I got us something,” she closed the door behind her with a tap of her foot and walked over to the table to set two mugs down that still had steam rising from them. “You like coffee, right?”

“Can’t live without it,” Roxas admitted when he took his mug, taking a tentative sip of the dark chestnut-colored liquid. 

“How is it? It’s not sea-salt ice cream, but I hope you like it.”

“It’s pretty good,” he felt a familiar tang on his tongue that slowly dissolved into sweet swirls. “Did you sprinkle sea-salt into this?”

“Only a little,” she said. “I melted caramel into it too so it wouldn’t be too salty.” Taking a seat, she held her cup in her hands to enjoy the warmth between her fingers. 

Roxas pulled up his chair beside her. “Did you go somewhere last night?”

_ Fuck. _ Caught red-handed. She took a sip of her coffee before responding. “Yeah. Just to see a friend.”

“You never mentioned how you escaped from the old Castle. You said your powers were taken from you.”

Lady clutched her mug tightly. “It was Xemnas.”

His blue eyes immediately trained on her as he felt a dull irritation build up inside him at the mention of that name. “Xemnas. Really.”

“Yes,” she frowned. “He’s not as bad as you think. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have escaped. Also, if it wasn’t for him, Terra would have-“

_ Shit _ . 

She stopped herself from saying anymore but she swelled on her mistake when she saw the anger flash in his eyes. 

“Terra would have what?” His voice was low. “What did he do to you?”

“Nothing. Don’t worry about it,” she set her mug down and tucked her hair behind her ears. “Look, Xemnas isn’t as bad as you used to know him. Trust me on this!”

“But he’s hurt you in the past,” he protested. “He’s done things that you shouldn’t be okay with!”

“And?!” her tempered flared. “Saï- Isa almost tore me to shreds once. Zexio- Ienzo drugged me to a point where I couldn’t even tell what was reality, and almost everyone else in the Organization tried to kill me at one point.” 

She was still having trouble remembering their true names as opposed to the ones given to them upon their births as Nobodies. Did they even prefer the names they had before? Or did they want to keep their newly baptized names? She would have to ask. 

“People change, Roxas!” she hoped they were done arguing, because her own temperament disgusted her. “It’s all in the past. What matters is that we’re here now, right?”

The blond looked defeated but relented against his will. “I guess.. I still don’t like it though. The idea of him near you.”

“Well, he’s going to be here whether you like it or not,” she muttered. “Can we stop this? One night back and we’re already fighting.”

Roxas massaged the back of his neck. “Fine. Sorry.”

She leaned forward to put a hand on his knee. “Me too. So, did I miss anything important last night? You were telling me something but I fell asleep.”

“No,” he sipped his drink. “It wasn’t that important.”

His face looked distant as he said that and she was worried she might have actually missed something important. But right now didn’t seem to be a good time to bother him with it. 

“I’m headed back to Banora today,” she said. 

“Banora? Why? I thought you were staying here?” 

“Only for a bit Rox. I’ll come back, I promise. There’s just other people I have to see, y’know?”

“Fine.” He gulped down the last of his drink before getting up and walking over to the bathroom. 

“Roxas?”

“I’m taking a shower,” he said as he pulled his shirt up over his head. “Are you heading out now?”

She tore her eyes away from him to allow him his privacy and looked down at her hands. “Uh, yeah. I’ll be downstairs so I’ll just see you there.” 

Excusing herself, she stood up and exited the room just as she heard the bathroom door open and close behind her. Letting out a sigh, she pushed herself off to walk down the hall. The passing windows granted her views to Radiant Garden and she was grateful to see such beautiful scenery being soaked with morning rays. When she passed another door, she heard it open and a hand grabbed her to pull her inside. 

A hand clamped over her mouth to prevent her from yelling out in surprise and her tensed body relaxed when she saw a familiar face looking at her with one playful golden eye. 

“Xiggy! What are you doing?” she whispered harshly and the man held a finger to his lips. 

“Just wanted to see how you were doing, princess,” he grinned, “heard from the others you interrupted their meeting. Tsk tsk, naughty girl.”

“I didn’t know!” she pouted and reached behind his head to tug on his ponytail. “You should’ve told me so I could’ve came another day.”

“It’s fine, most of them didn’t want to sit through it anyways.”

“Hey, about your name. Why didn’t you go to your old one like the others?” 

Xigbar’s expression changed and seemed to hide something much more serious underneath. “Well, my name doesn’t matter much. Braig, Xigbar… Luxu. They’re just names. Nothing more.”

“Luxu?” she tilted her head. “Where’d that come from?” 

He chuckled. “It’s nothing, kitten. Don’t worry about it.” A hand tipped her chin up towards him as he smiled, “What you should worry about is how tempting you look in your dress.”

He slid his hand down to rest on her hip and his finger traced where her underwear  _ should _ have been. “Do you know how easy it is for someone to just-“ his hand pulled up the hem of her dress, “-do this? You’re playing a dangerous game.”

She stopped his hand and gave him a nudge. “Don’t be weird, old man. Underwear chafes under my armor,” she said through a smile when she saw him begin to laugh. 

He leaned forward to get closer to her ear, and with his hand still pulling up her dress, he whispered. “Kitten, do you know how  _ old _ I really am?” 

The tone in his voice suggested something far more serious and she shivered at the thought of the possible meaning behind it. But if she were to dig in for more, she was scared she wouldn’t be able to come back out. And when Xigbar backed away, his playful grin returned to his face and all seemed rather normal. 

“Come on,” he said, letting the hem of her dress drop down. “Don’t you have other people to see?” When he looked down at her surprised pout, he smirked, “Were you hoping for more?”

“Of course not,” she raised her chin. “Were you?”

“From you?” he grinned. “Always.”

*******

“Would there be anyone in the world that you can think of that can help you with that seal?” Ienzo asked Lady as she paced back and forth. Her hands rested on her hips as she was lost in thought. The others watched her look up at the ceiling then to the ground, then back up then down- in a never ending cycle of visible pondering. 

“No,” she stopped. “Wait. Yes. One maybe, but I don’t think even he would be able to remove it.”

“Who?” 

“Ardyn. Do you know him by chance?”

“I don’t think I’ve heard of him,” Ienzo admitted. 

Xion looked up at her. “Wait, didn’t Noct mention someone like that? A great great  _ great _ relative of sorts.” She then began typing something on the holographic keyboard that appeared before her on the table and an image projected overhead. 

That image being a picture of Ardyn Izunia himself, or more specifically, Ardyn Lucis Caelum. Related files began appearing beside his portfolio, all detailing the tasks he undertook as appointed Chancellor of Niflheim but that’s where it ended. It showed nothing of the work he’s done as the one who was destined to rule Lucis in the first place as opposed to his brother- Somnus Lucis Caelum. But that was an argument for another day. 

“He inhibited the seal, but I’m assuming he can’t take it away completely either,” Lady said with her tone serious. “I would need Bahamut himself or another with similar powers to take it away.”

“It’s not likely to have the other gods go against Bahamut’s decree,” said Rould and Lady tossed him a nod of her head. The man always had an aura of debonaire about him. Even still when she knew him as ‘Luxord’. 

“I would doubt any of them would help me,” she sighed. 

“Even if we were to seek their help,” Lauriam added, his long pink hair held back in a ponytail. His soft blue eyes looked at her with sympathy and she remembered how he seemed more sadistic as Marluxia. “Only Leviathan, Ramuh, and Titan are the only ones out of the Six that are available. Shiva is dead isn’t she? And Ifrit has been lost for ages, he was only seen recently when he attacked Insomnia all those years ago but now he’s quiet once more.” 

“Ardyn controls the Infernian,” Lady told them. “He’s just waiting for the right moment to summon him back.” 

“So if this Ardyn guy controls the Infernian, can’t he make him take the seal away?” asked Roxas. “Where is he? I can take him on.” 

“ _ NO!” _ her voice came out louder than she wanted it to be and she winced when she saw everyone’s eyes had turned to her in surprise. “No,” she repeated and looked Roxas in the eye. “Do not go after that man, no matter what you do. Promise me.”

“Why?” he seemed irked that she thought so little of his strength. 

“Because I went blind fighting him,” she hissed. “I gave up so much just to be toe-to-toe with that man and even then it wasn’t good enough.”

“He was the one that blinded you?” Ienzo looked bewildered at the new information and rightly so, she never bothered telling any of them what truly happened at Insomnia. 

“No, Bahamut did,” she explained and did a sharp inhale. “He said it was payment, but when he took my vision, I guess he also helped himself to a half of my heart.”

“And that’s how he brought you back?” said Xion. 

“Correct.”

“Would also explain how Jenova had a one-up on you,” the black-haired girl said slowly. “You were at a disadvantage.” 

“Hell yeah I was,” Lady closed her eyes and muttered that under her breath. “I’m sorry.” 

Her apology was broad and meant to cover many things. When a hush swept the room, the memories almost swept her back to that dark place atop a crater. Looking up at the ceiling she could almost see the meteor come down on them as if it was yesterday. 

“You weren’t yourself,” Roxas muttered. “It wasn’t you.” 

It’s funny. It almost sounded like he kept trying to convince himself. 

Ienzo cleared his throat.“Speaking of Jenova, is she-  _ it _ gone?”

“Yeah,” she seemed sure in her answer. “I think so. I remember fighting with her before, in the Lifestream.”

_ “Jenova!!” Lady screamed as she picked up her sword and lunged it at the entity that shared her face. Swirls of green light surrounded their battlefield and watched as the two battled for dominance.  _

“We both fought until the other collapsed.”

_ Jenova struck Lady at her side, knocking the other woman down as she fell into the field of stars. Coughing, Lady hastily pushed herself up and tackled the other to the ground.  _

“Gods, I don’t know how long I was there for. It felt so much longer than just three years.”

_ “If I die,” Jenova growled. “I’m taking your wretched soul with me!” _

_ “You talk too damn much,” Lady hissed as she parried her attack and spun around until the tip of her sword plunged deep into the alien’s heart. It was almost unnerving killing someone that looked exactly like her.  _

_ Blood spurted out in generous helpings and Lady looked down to see that Jenova’s sword had struck her as well. Swallowing her fear, she closed her eyes as both of their bodies fell towards the Lifestream.  _

“In the end, after so long, I killed her and then I found myself lying in Bahamut’s palm shortly after,” she placed a hand over her heart and felt the solid beat thump against her chest. “I still feel something ride up inside me. Especially when I feel particularly negative.” 

“Is it Jenova?” Xion looked worried. 

“No, it’s..” finding the appropriate words to describe it was becoming difficult. “It’s like all my negative emotions become something darker. Like it doesn’t even feel like it belongs to me, does that make sense?”

“As in the darkness inside of you has been embodied into Jenova, a symbol of all the bad thoughts you have within you,” Riku spoke much to her surprise. He was silent this whole time, except for now. “You represent your light while Jenova represents your darkness.” 

“Yeah.. exactly. How did you know?”

He folded his arms and looked away from her. “I know a thing or two about that.”

Before she could ask him more details on how it was possible for him to know about that, Xion got her attention by calling her name. “The only person we know about having that much power is Ardyn, should we keep an eye on him?”

“If you can find him,” she sighed loudly. “He’s a slippery one him. But I have questions he might have the answer to.” 

“What if he’s back in Insomnia?” 

“That’s bad news, because I can’t get anywhere close there.”

“So you’re not going to say hi to Noct and the others?”

Lady’s face softened to a melancholic smile. “Not now, hopefully soon.”

*******

“C’mon Kairi, you can hit harder than that!” Sora waited for the redheaded girl to charge at him again. 

“Hah, stay still and I’ll show you how hard I can hit!” she retorted with a smile as she launched her Keyblade at him. 

The two Keyblade wielders clashed and although it was supposed to be a serious bout, the two of them were laughing and quite obviously having a good time. From an alcove above, Riku watched quietly with a blank gaze. Sounds of their laughter echoed from the courtyard they were in and bounced around in his head before exiting in a slightly unpleasant fashion. 

“Hey, you okay?”

Riku turned around to see Lady approach him with what looked to be pity in her eyes.. or was it empathy? 

“Fine. I don’t know why you’re worried,” he said before turning his head back around. 

She stood next to him and looked down at Kairi and Sora then to Riku. “You three seemed pretty close from what Sora’s told me.”

“We’re just childhood friends,” he corrected her. 

“But aren’t you friends now?”

“...I guess.”

An awkwardness fell between the two of them and she drummed her fingers against the stone parapet. She contemplated walking away until he spoke up again. 

“I sometimes feel like wherever those two go.. I can’t follow.” That blank stare returned to his eyes. “Like no matter what I do, I can’t keep up.”

Not knowing what else she could say to assuage his feelings, she placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’m here for you, you know? When you need it.”

He gave her a side-eye then glanced down at the hand she had on his shoulder. “Is this how Terra fell for you?” 

She retrieved her hand. “What are you talking about?”

“When you died, all he talked about was how he failed you- that he was supposed to protect you,” Riku turned to look at her, “I saw the way he looks at you when you don’t see him.” 

He then began to walk away from her. “That’s why we shouldn’t get so close.”

“...What? What do you mean?” 

Riku left her with a completely astounded face. 

“What’s his deal?” she frowned. 

*******

“Well, I’ll see you guys in a couple days,” Lady said as her dress transformed into armor in a bright flash of light. “Keep me posted if you see any activity on Ardyn or Xehanort.”

“What about your seal?” Xion asked. 

“It’s fine,” she sighed. “That will have to wait. For now, getting Terra back is one of our biggest goals.” 

“Right, well, safe travels.”

Roxas stepped forward. “You’re coming back, right?”

“Of course,” she smiled. “This won’t be the last you see of me.” 

Large wings then unfurled behind her and lifted her off into the sky, carrying her farther and farther from Radiant Garden. 

*******

Noctis yawned and stretched his arms far above his head. “What’s the big idea with having an audience so early in the morning?”

“Noct,” Ignis let out an exasperated sigh, “it’s noon.”

The prince ignored the latter half of that sentence. “So I heard we have a summoner visiting? What’s that?”

“Summoners from the holy land of Spira. They practice a craft that’s almost been long forgotten,” Ignis replied. “Though I haven’t seen their exploits in person, I hear they’re legendary. Summoning the power of gods at will after rigorous training.”

“Hm,” Noct gave a disinterested grunt. “I guess.” His eyes shifted when he saw Prompto walking quickly towards the Citadel with his face glued to his phone and was approaching a woman from behind. It was obvious that he would bump into her but the blond was oblivious as to his point of collision and sure enough, he bumped into her.

“Ah!” Prompto let out a surprised yelp and his phone clattered onto the ground. 

“Gods, Prompto you idiot,” Noct muttered and ran towards him with Ignis following close behind. 

Prompto was pinching his nose with his eyes shut tightly. “Ah, oof, I’m so sorry! I didn’t see where I was going!”

“It’s quite alright,” a soft, alto voice chuckled and Noctis looked as the woman wore a mask that completely covered her face. The mask was white and in the shape of a fox-like creature with the snout protruding out; red whiskers marked the cheeks and drawings of red wisteria flowers dangled from the right ear. Her long black kimono creased in the middle as she bent down and picked up the phone from the ground to hand back to Prompto.

“Thank you,” the blond scrambled up and received his phone with both hands. “I’m so sorry!” he said while bowing his head.

“Please, there’s no need for that,” the woman said. Her face looked up at Noctis and Ignis as they approached, bowing her head slightly she greeted them. “Your Highness. It’s a pleasure.”

There was something familiar about the woman’s voice that Noctis couldn’t quite put a finger on. But he soon waved that thought away. 

“Uh, y-yeah,” the prince wasn’t used to being recognized in his casual wear. He wasn’t one to wave his royal status around anyways. “Nice to meet you too?”

The woman chuckled. “Maybe it’s best I take this off when I meet new people,” she motioned to her mask. “It would be rude of me after all.”

Reaching up, she removed the braided silk that held her mask in place and it fell to her hand. Her eyes adjusted to the sunlight that caressed her face as her hair fell about in waves to frame her cheeks. 

Noctis’ eyes grew wide, his mouth agape in shock as her face was revealed to him. 

Ignis’ expression shifted slightly, like a pebble being dropped into a still pond- disturbing it with small ripples. 

Prompto felt like he was going to drop his phone again as his bottom lip trembled and his face went pale as if he’d seen a ghost. 

“..Lady..?” Prompto muttered under his breath in disbelief. 

“Hm?” the woman raised an eyebrow in confusion. “My name is Onna, young one.”

“N-no way,” Noctis shook his head. “You look just like her.”

Onna tilted her head to the side in the same fashion Lady did when she was puzzled. “Ah,” she realized what they were talking about. “Were you maybe referring to my daughter?”

Ignis adjusted his glasses to shave off the glare so he could get a better look at her. “Daughter?”

“You mean.. you’re Lady’s mom?” Prompto gulped and looked nervously at Noctis and Ignis. 

“Lady? Is that what she calls herself these days,” Onna murmured to herself. “But yes, she is my daughter.”

Noctis’ eyes narrowed. This woman was young but her eyes betrayed a maturity to them. A shadow of red liner hugged closely to her top waterline and made her irises, the same color as Lady’s, stand out. On her lips was a shiny, dark red lacquer that made her smile all the more appealing. The resemblance was uncanny. In a way, he was given insight as to how Lady would look if she were given the luxury of more years to live..

And boy would she grow up to be an even more beautiful woman. 

“I, uh, don’t want to be the bearer of bad news. But Lady’s been dead for a while now.” Noctis wanted to be straight-forward, there was no point stalling it.

It was Onna’s turn to be confused. “I beg your pardon?”

No one wanted to tell a mother that her child has died and so Noctis shifted uncomfortably in his shoes until Ignis stepped in. As his retainer and of his closest friends, Ignis always did his best to cover the prince’s ass whenever things got bad- this was one of those situations. 

But before Ignis could get a word out, Onna spoke again, “I’m afraid you’re mistaken. My daughter is alive and well.”

Only Noctis and Prompto seemed even more surprised while Ignis remained calm. 

“What do you mean?” Prompto asked with the utmost urgency in his eyes. “She’s alive?!”

“Yes,” Onna replied. “I’m trying to find her.”

“Are you the summoner?” Ignis asked. 

An amused smile graced her lips. “No, that would be Yuna.”

“Is it too sudden to ask what it is that you do?” 

“A traveler, nothing more. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m sure I shouldn’t keep His Majesty waiting any longer.” Bowing her head again, she walked up the stairs just as Gladio exited the Citadel. 

When his honey-amber eyes made contact with Onna, he froze in his steps and watched her walk up the stairs. He looked to Ignis for confirmation and the bespectacled man shook his head and watched the large man approach them. 

“Was that just me or did I see..?” Gladio trailed off. 

“It’s her mother,” said Ignis. “Visiting from Spira.”

“Here to look for Lady, huh?” Gladio said but quickly caught his mistake and glanced over to Noctis and Prompto just as Ignis let out a sigh.

“You two knew..?” Noctis tightened his fist. “You both knew Lady was alive and you didn’t tell me?”

“It wasn’t because we wanted to,” Ignis answered swiftly, eager to diffuse His Highness’ temper. “We just wanted to be sure the information we received was accurate before telling you two.” 

“And what information is that? And who’s the informant?” 

“That day we got back from Galdin Quay,” Gladio butted in. “Xion gave us a call and told us what she knew.” 

“And?”

“She’s been with us for quite a while it seems,” said Ignis as he got out his phone to pull up records. “She assisted the Glaives on their daemon purges.” 

Noctis grabbed the phone out of his hand, rapidly flipping through the files and stopped when a picture of an angel dressed in silver armor came into view. Posed with a sword, she extinguished all of the daemons in one fell swoop and he felt his heart jump.

“Is this real?” Prompto’s eyes trained on the silver angel. “But why hasn’t she come to say to us or something?”

“She.. wasn’t completely herself, only until recently she’s regained her memories. But she can’t come close to Insomnia.”

“Why not?” Noctis handed Ignis his phone back. 

Ignis casted a quick glance up at the one of the Citadel towers that held the Crystal that housed Bahamut. “Maybe it’s best to discuss this elsewhere.”

*******

Lady emerged from the forest, her white dress stained with dust that flew up when she landed along with a couple of leaves that were attached to her. 

“Ugh,” she groaned, picking them off one by one and watching them float to the ground as she stepped over them. Ahead of her was the village of Banora, mostly a cluster of buildings with stone pathways leading to and from the market just at the center where people plied their trades or products. 

The sound of people milling about as she approached told her that today was a good day to sell things at the market. Soon enough the noises got louder as she got closer and she got on her tiptoes to scan the crowd. From what she saw when she flew overhead, no one was at Genesis’ house and so she thought she would find someone here at least. 

When she saw a flash of auburn hair, she immediately followed in its’ direction but stopped when she saw another head of hair right beside the ex-SOLDIER. 

A woman with cherry-red hair that fell down below her hips in curled waves stood beside Genesis. Her lips were thick and looked glossy under the afternoon sun; her light brown eyes had long lashes framing them with a bit of nude eyeshadow defining the crease of her eyelids. A gold-colored broach held up the top half of her hair and her dress was pure white that hugged her hourglass figure nicely. Her black heels stood on the ground firmly as she had a hand on her hip while she addressed Genesis, golden jewelry hung off the wrists that made suggestive gestures as she spoke to him. 

The woman, whoever she was, was gorgeous. She also looked like she had money. A lot of it. And with a figure like that? It was hard pressed to find women that stunning. 

_ Most importantly,  _ Lady thought as she looked down at her dress in comparison to the other woman’s,  _ her dress is clean. Mine is filthy.  _

Dust and dirt from earlier made it appear gray in color as opposed to the pure white it once was and she suddenly felt self-conscious about her appearance. Before she could back away properly to give Genesis privacy, someone bumped into her and pushed her even closer to the proximity of those two and unfortunately bits and pieces of their conversation became even more distinguished and clear. 

“So,” the woman tapped her polished heel on the cobblestone, “I’ve heard your parents are out of town for a business meeting. Coincidentally, so are mine.”

Genesis looked up at her. “And here I was thinking you were a woman of good practice in celibacy, Nina.”

Nina scoffed. “Just because I don’t find any other men in this city attractive doesn’t mean I abstain from conjugal relations. But  _ you  _ on the other hand-“ she leaned over just for the dainty gold and silver chain on her neck dangled in full view between her breasts, “-seem interesting enough.”

He raised a brow and closed the book he was reading with a sharp snap, before packing it away Nina reached forward and snatched it out of his hand. 

“Loveless, huh? A favorite of your father’s too if I recall. Such a dreary play,” she hummed as she observed the leather-bound leaflets without opening it once. 

“I wouldn’t expect you to understand,” Genesis sneered. “Only those who studied the stanzas as I have can understand.”

“You don’t think I studied them?” Nina shot him a glare and handed him back his book but before his hands could properly grasp it, she snatched it up again. 

“When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end/

The goddess descends from the sky/

Wings of light and dark spread afar/

She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting.. 

Did I get that right?”

Then, an amused smirk appeared on Genesis’ lips. “Almost perfect.”

Nina pouted. “Almost?” She put her hand on her hip again, “Then perhaps you’d like to give me lessons?”

Lady did a sharp inhale and turned her eyes from the scene.  _ They seem busy. Maybe I should find Angeal or Sephiroth.  _

She quickly retreated from the spot where Genesis sat by the fountain and was drawn to the smell of smoldering metal and sound of metal being pounded into an anvil. She knew some blacksmiths lived here and produced some decent quality swords, maybe she would buy one for herself- just in case she ever lost her other one. 

Turning the corner, she waited for a group of people to pass by before she stopped in her tracks again when she saw clearly in front of her. Standing in front of a blacksmith’s stall was Angeal and that woman she saw the other day. 

_ I think her name was.. Serah? Is she talking to Angeal?  _

Serah was a plump girl with wide hips and large breasts; her dark brown hair was in a side braid that hugged the curve of her chest and accentuated it nicely. Her freckles were emphasized with the rosy blush on the apples of her cheeks and her eyes looked on kindly as they gazed at Angeal. A white apron covered the front of her beige-colored dress that hung loosely by her lower calves, just above her brown lace-up boots. 

Serah was pretty. Just the type of woman you’d want to start a family with or come home to after a long day at work. Perfect for a quiet life in the countryside- or anywhere really. 

“You know my father made the Buster Sword your family had,” Serah smiled, her eyes twinkling in the sun. “Do you still have it?”

“Uh, no,” Angeal cleared his throat. “I.. lost it.”

“Aw,” Serah looked disappointed. “That’s too bad. But maybe I can have my father make another one for you?”

“There’s no need, I don’t really fight anymore.”

“You sure?” she tilted her head. “Then why are you here looking for another sword?”

“Well-” it was too late. Angeal was caught in the middle of his lie. 

“Got ya,” Serah grinned. “Come look at this one then,” she picked up a longsword with a finely tapered tip and a heavy handle. “It’s basic-” the blacksmith behind the stall threw her a glare when she said that, “-but sturdy and reliable.” The blacksmith relaxed and had a small smile on his face when he heard the latter half of the sentence. 

“Useful for monsters,” she leaned forward to whisper, “or men.”

“It’s predominantly for one-handed grips,” Angeal took the sword from her and turned it in his hand. “Lightweight, but I prefer heavier.”

“Oh?” a wide smile appeared on Serah’s face. “Then two-handed grips might be better for you? How about a greatsword?” 

“That’s more my style,” a genuine laugh came from Angeal as Serah tried her best to pick up the heavy two-handed sword that laid on a table.

It was clear that the woman was struggling as she exhaled through puffed cheeks and when it looked like she was about to fall over with the sword-

“Careful!” Angeal reached forward and caught her by her waist while his other hand lifted the sword effortlessly. “Are you okay, Serah?”

Her hand rested on his flexed arm as she let out a relieved sigh. “I’m fine. That was embarrassing, maybe I should work out more like you.” 

He placed her back up on her feet and she dusted off her apron. “Was I heavy?” she asked.

“No,” he assured her. “I didn’t struggle at all.”

Her brown eyes twinkled again, “You’re so sweet. I should repay you for your kindness.”

“There’s no need for that.”

“Come on, your mother asked if we had any more stock from the last shipment and I told her I didn’t mind handing you some.”

“Well.. if that’s the case-”

“Then it’s settled!” Serah wrapped her hand around his arm and held him close as she pointed in a direction. “The stock is at my house, come pick it up there!” 

“I, uh, alright.” Angeal was pulled in a direction leading out of the main square and Lady watched as the two of them got smaller and smaller the more they got farther away. 

Her fist clenched but immediately relaxed.  _ Angeal seems busy too.. that’s.. that’s okay. Maybe I should get out of the crowd, it’s stuffy over here.  _ Backing away, she zigzagged through the crowds and exhaled when she was finally out of the market. Her heart seemed to be beating slower as she lifted a hand to place over her sternum.  _ It’s nothing, calm down. _

Spotting a quiet area with a large tree, she walked over to it and stopped when she heard voices. When she saw a swath of silver hair, she immediately knew who it was and ducked behind another tree. She already looked like a mess, she didn’t want to let him see her like this. 

A female voice spoke first. “May I sit with you?” 

“I don’t see why not,” a male voice responded after.

Lady peeked from behind the tree and saw Sephiroth sitting beside another woman. She was thin and pale-skinned with chin-length black hair. A simple layer of darkened berry lipstick graced her lips and even from where Lady stood, she saw that this woman had thick, dark lashes framing her soft green eyes. She wore a simple dark maroon cardigan over a white tank top with thin straps and black pants that hugged her long legs. Black flats tapped against the grass but stopped when her leg crossed over the other and she folded her hands in her lap.

She was beautiful. A quiet beauty that seemed to rarely show her smile to others, but to those she did, surely they would be entranced. 

“I’m assuming you’re here because you don’t like crowds?” she asked him.

“And I assume you’re here for the same reason.” 

“Almost,” she chuckled. “My name is Maaye. It’s Sephiroth, right?” 

“Correct,” he spoke without turning his head to even look at her. 

“Weren’t you under Shinra’s employment once? SOLDIER 1st Class, correct?” she looked at him with a kind smile. 

When she spoke his title, Sephiroth turned his head toward her. “Yes, but that was a different life.”

“Is that why you live with Genesis now? Wasn’t he in 1st Class as well?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “I don’t have parents of my own, so I live with him instead.”

“Oh,” her face twisted into empathy. “My apologies, I didn’t mean to pry.” Turning her face from him, she played with her fingers. “I understand how you feel,” she said quietly, “I lost my parents years ago to a group of monsters just outside the village when we were traveling to Nibelheim.”

He looked at her as she spoke. “I live alone most of the time. I can understand it’s a lifestyle that most people wouldn’t want, but sometimes it’s the only one I can stand. Maybe it’s because it’s the only one I’ve known for almost all my life.”

“The feeling never truly goes away,” he nodded solemnly. It was true he had found a family in Angeal and Genesis, but- he could sometimes still feel the looming feeling of sadness take hold of him. 

“Exactly,” she smiled when he understood her plight. “It’s comforting to know someone who shares the same sentiment.” She hesitated before placing a hand on his, “If you ever need someone to understand your feelings.. you can talk to me.”

Sephiroth remained silent, silently regarding Maaye with cool green-blue eyes. “Thank you,” he finally said. 

Lady swallowed and leaned against the tree she hid behind. She felt like she just saw something she wasn’t supposed to. Her heart felt heavier and she denied the cause behind it as she forced her body to carry her somewhere. To where? She didn’t know. Nor did she care. 

She stopped when she saw Genesis’ house in the distance and placed a hand on one of the many Banora White apple trees leading up to the property. Her chest felt even heavier and she grabbed at her neck like she was choking even though nothing was blocking her throat. 

Holding out her hand, she summoned her sword to hand and used the edge of the blade to look at her reflection and what she saw was nothing short of drab. 

Hair sticking up with small twigs and leaves decorated her hair in a chaotic crown. A little bit of dirt found itself on her nose and she was quick to rub that off, scowling when it only smeared even more on her face. Last but not least, her eyes looked tired as they always do, but she only attributed that to the long flights between destinations. 

Letting her sword dissipate in her hand, she placed a hand over her heart and did a sharp inhale followed by a slow exhale. No. It still hurt. Feeling like spikes contracting around the chambers of her heart as she breathed. Why was she feeling like this? It was something she hadn’t experienced in so long. 

She thought back to those three women. They were gorgeous, charming, seemingly a perfect fit for each of the men they were with today.. 

..While she stood here like a child. With a tattered dress and dirt-covered face. The difference was night and day. 

_ No _ , she straightened up and pinched herself,  _ this is fine.  _ Because she wanted nothing more than to see those three smile.  _ But damn _ , the metaphorical spikes squeezed around her heart harder.  _ It still hurts. _

Besides, she still remembered what Ienzo told her. That Jenova called to their cells like a siren would call to a wayward sailor. So was it possible their feelings for her back then were only because she played host to Jenova..?

But she was so sure that her love was genuine.

“Lady!” 

When she heard a voice call her, she pinched herself hard and turned around with a small smile that she forced. Her eyes landed on Zack and she tilted her head, “Hey!”

“How long have you been here?” Zack squinted when he looked at her hair. “Woah, you look like a mess.” 

“Yeah,” she chuckled ruefully. “I suppose I do.”

“H-hey, I didn’t mean it like that, here-” he reached over to pluck the leaves from her hair and flicked them to the ground while she watch them twirl in circles before landing, “-there we go! All gone.”

“Thanks,” she gave him a half-hearted smile. 

“No problem! Were you waiting for those three? They went to the market, want me to go get them-”

“No!” she cleared her throat. “No, just let them be. I.. I have somewhere I need to go anyways.”

Zack had a worried look on his face. “You sure? I’m sure it won’t take long.”

“No,” she repeated herself and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’m fine. I shouldn’t bother them and plus there was something I needed to look into anyways. I’ll see you later Zack.” Her farewell was abrupt as she quickly walked away from him until she felt a hand grab her wrist firmly. 

Turning around she saw Zack’s playful expression change into something more serious. “You know.. I’m here for you right? If there’s anything on your mind, you can talk to me or maybe we can go out for a ride on my bike.”

“Thanks,” the smile that moved the corners of her lips felt effortless. “I’ll let you know.”

“By the way, when we go back to Midgar, are you coming with us? I’m sure Vincent wants to see you too.”

“Does he know?”

“Yeah, said he found out way before I did from some dude he interrogated. But he didn’t wanna let anyone know until he was sure because he thought it was the enemy playing a trick.”

“What?! And he didn’t even contact me to say hello or something?”

Zack rubbed the back of his neck. “Well to put it in his words: ‘she’ll contact me when she contacts me. I’m busy.’” 

“Ouch,” she scowled. “The guy has a heart as cold as ice.”  _ Typical answer from Vincent though, what else can I expect. What a dick.  _ “I will later, maybe.”

“Just come to Midgar when me and Cloud finish fixing up our bikes, you can ride with me,” he said with a wink. “And hey, maybe we can have our date there too!”

“Sure, if you still want to.”

“Of course I’d want to!” he leaned close to her face to study it. “You sure you’re alright? You don’t seem like yourself.”

“I’m fine,” she said, reaching up to poke the tip of his nose. “Stop worrying! I gotta go okay? You’re stalling me!” 

“Okay okay,” he said with a smile. “Catch ya later, Lady. Oh, hey, did you want me to tell those three you were here? Leave a message or somethin’?”

Lady mulled over his question and her eyes shimmered before glazing over. “No. Just tell them I called you over the phone to say that I decided to sleep somewhere else tonight.”

*******

With what little change she had in her pocket, Lady bought a large black hoodie with jean shorts and sandals that she could slip into with ease. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail and was pushed to the side of her face as her hoodie came up, concealing the back of her head. In her hand was her phone that Ienzo gave her, a sleeker model than the last one she had which she was grateful for. 

She stopped in her tracks when she reached the central park that looked over the ocean and took a moment to enjoy the view. If it was anything about the city of Elera that made her love it, it was the breathtaking views it provided her.

When she first opened up and started renting out the Alstroemeria, she was so happy she’d be able to see this view everyday. 

But she supposed not everything could stay the same.

“Ah!” a girl cried out as she fell back onto her bottom. She looked to be six or seven, with small pigtails and bright pink shorts to match her bright pink shirt. 

Lady rushed to help the girl up but saw that the person she bumped into was already helping her up. To her surprise, that person was Xemnas. 

“T-thanks, mister,” the girl said, nervously looking at the imposing figure and as she stood up straight, she flinched and looked down at her knee which was bleeding. 

Xemnas blinked first then knelt down to be eye-level with her. “May I?” he asked, gesturing to her injured knee. 

When the girl tearfully nodded, his hand hovered inches away from her knee and watched in wonder as green light emanated from his palm and closed the shallow scratches on her skin- leaving only specks of dried blood behind. 

“Ooh!” the girl clapped her hands in amazement and Lady watched as she threw her arms around Xemnas’ neck to hug him tightly. “Thank you mister!” Letting go, the little girl waved to him before running off in the direction of her parents.

Standing up, Xemnas watched the girl leave and turned his head back towards the ocean until he noticed that Lady was standing not too far off. When they approached each other, she had an amused smile on her face. “I saw that, that was good of you to do.”

“She was clumsy, I just happened to be there,” he said nonchalantly. 

“Yeah yeah, come on, I promised you something to eat right?” her eyes looked down at the dark blue henley he wore, the buttons were undone and exposed the point where his collarbones came towards the middle. 

Even in a simple shirt and jeans, he still looked good. 

“You look nice,” she gave him a once-over then looked down to her own clothes. 

Meanwhile.. she just looked like she crawled out of whatever bargain bin was available this time of day. 

“You look as lovely as ever,” he murmured to her and she felt her cheeks warm up. 

“Thanks, and thanks for coming to meet me,” she grasped his arm. “Come on, I’m hungry, aren’t you?”

They both walked along the rail overlooking the shoreline until Lady pointed out a simple bar that consisted of a single stand that sold food with benches in front of it for the customers to sit down and enjoy a view of the beach with their meal. 

Letting go of Xemnas’ arm, she bounced towards the stall and cleared her throat loudly. “Hey Charlie! Can I get two skewers?”

An older man with a bandana tied around his bald head looked at her and his face lit up at the sight of her. “‘Ey now, if it isn’t Lady! Haven’t seen your ass in years! What’s up with that, huh?”

“Sorry,” she said with a sheepish grin. “I just left.. for a long vacation. Anyways, where are my skewers man, c’mon!”

She drummed her fingers against the table and Charlie let out a boisterous laugh. “Yeah yeah, you’ll have them soon.” He glanced up at Xemnas who stood off to the side and chuckled, “Hey, pretty boy over there. That your man?”

“What?” her face heated up. “My man?”

Charlie gave her a pointed look. “Your boyfriend, husband, whatever he might be.”

Xemnas seemed amused and caught on. “Yes,” he answered as Lady turned around to look at him with a surprised look. “I am.”

“Oh-ho,” Charlie winked at Lady. “Nice.”

“Can I just have these! Thank you!” she quickly grabbed the skewers from him and nudged Xemnas on the way out. “C’mon.”

“Don’t be a stranger!” Charlie called as they took seats quite a ways from the stand. 

“Sorry about that,” she muttered as she handed Xemnas his skewer. “It’s behemoth meat, hope you like it.” Taking a bite out of hers, she savored the taste of the caramelized protein and the crunch of the vibrant red bell-peppers that were squished in between. It melted in her mouth and she didn’t realize just how hungry she was- she hoped Xemnas was enjoying it as much as she was. 

When she turned to look at him, she realized that his skewer was bare, leaving only the stick behind. What freaked her out the most was how  _ silent  _ he was. Although it was a small amount, she couldn’t imagine him scarfing it down so quickly. 

“Were you really hungry?” she asked him after swallowing another mouthful. 

He gave her a side-eye. “I suppose I don’t eat as much as I should. It’s not something I’m used to.”

Finishing her own skewer, she rolled the end of the stick between her thumb and forefinger. The sound of the ocean lapping against the shore filled the silence between them and she saw the lanterns lighting up as it got darker out. Sea-salt sprayed close to them and she appreciated how fresh the air was, clearing her head and quite possibly her soul too. 

“You seem upset,” he told her and she picked her head up to give him a small smile to try and assuage his inquisition. 

“I’m fine,” she said as she plucked the stick from his hand and held it close to hers. Pinning them together, she focused her mana and watched as a fire consumed the wooden sticks without leaving a single scorch on her. “I’m marked, but at least I have my powers,” she muttered as she opened her palm to let the ash drift away to mix with the sand. 

Her hand reached to pull her hoodie back and her hair flew free from its confines. “I already said this, but thanks for coming out here with me,” she murmured quietly. The cold surrounded them and she regretted wearing shorts, but due to their proximity she could feel the warmth from him that was enough to stave off any shivering. “I used to come here all the time before, when I wanted to feel small.” 

An arm wrapped around her shoulder and brought her closer to him, her head falling against his shoulder. “I remember you telling me that it helped you to look up at the night sky when things seemed to overtake you.”

“Yeah,” she closed her eyes. “Thinking of the universe and how big it is compared to me- it makes me feel better. It reminds me that I’m just one out of many.” 

“How are you feeling now?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I don’t know what to feel.” 

A hand lifted her chin up and she looked up at Xemnas’ deep golden eyes. His thumb grazed tenderly over her skin as he spoke, “You may be one light of many, but yours shines far brighter than any I’ve seen.”

Her lips parted in an attempt to respond but she didn’t as he soon had his lips over hers. Pulling her into a deep kiss, she closed her eyes as she saw his did too. Both of them getting lost in their shared touch as the sea breeze continuously swept over them. 

In the moments before, she felt lost and confused. Lost because of the lack of direction she was provided, she had no idea where to go from here. Confused because she didn’t know who could possibly help her with her mark that would undoubtedly become a problem if left alone- as well as the threat of Xehanort or Bahamut that could strike at any given moment. 

But for now, as she felt his tongue glide against the seam of her lips and met him in the middle with hers. She assumed she could take it one day at a time, even if the future and all it would hold for her would undoubtedly bring her more trouble than she anticipated. 


	9. IX

Standing in front of a mirror, Lady wiped off a bit of the steam on the surface. Her hands picked up and looked at a pair of scissors; they appeared sharp enough, she just hoped they’d be enough to cut through hair easily. Brushing all of her hair to the front, she damped the ends where she would cut it and made sure there were no knots or clumps. White hair glistened under the bathroom lights and she inhaled as she began cutting away at the parts where her hair changed color; as the ghostly wisps fell to the tile below her, she felt lighter and a sense of peace overtook her. When she was done, the person looking back at her in the mirror looked more like the person she used to be- and not Jenova.

Shaking off her hair to ensure she got all the loose strands, she swept up her hair with a hand and threw it in the trash. Wrapping her towel around her tighter, she exited the bathroom to enter her old room. Her closet still contained all of her clothes as no one dared to move anything in her room when she passed. Inhaling, she could still smell the faint perfume that lingered on some of her clothing in the closet. Picking out an outfit, she set it to lay on her bed before sitting on her vanity and went through the process of doing her whole face: eyes, face, and stopping when she got at her lips. 

Retrieving a tube of lipstick from her drawer, she swiped the dark red onto her lips and stopped when her eyes fully conceived what her face looked like. Setting the tube of rouge down, she took a few moments to carefully observe herself. 

“Is something the matter?” Xemnas leaned on the door frame, seeing how she stopped so suddenly in the middle of her routine. 

“No,” she said, snapping out of her daze and resuming her application. “It’s just-” she patted her lips with her ring finger, “-I look like my mother when I have this shade on. She always wore red lipstick.”

He took a seat on the edge of her bed on a spot where she could see him in the mirror. “What does she look like?”

“A lot of people back home say I look like her,” she tapped a finger against the vanity with built-up tension guiding her rhythm. “She was a beautiful woman, everyone on the island always told her that when I was a kid. That was years ago though, I don’t know how she looks now.”

“You haven’t talked since?”

Lady laughed out loud, bitterness lacing the chimes of her laughs. “No,” she smiled ruefully. “Haven’t talked to her in _years._ ” 

Xemnas didn’t know how to respond. It wasn’t as if he had a mother of his own, so he didn’t know how that would feel to be so distant from the person who birthed you. But he assumed it would feel horrible. 

“Anyways,” she tightened the towel around her body before getting up. “Apparently they need me at Banora for something. What will you do today?” 

“This is a good spot for reconnaissance,” he said, his eyes lingering on her figure under the white towel. “If Xehanort makes a move, I would know before he realizes I’m watching him.” Golden eyes met hers, “It’s thanks to your magic that keeps me hidden.” 

“You’re welcome for that,” she chuckled and took his hand to have him stand. With her hands on his back, she guided him towards the door and gently pushed him out. “No peeking, okay? I need to change.” 

*******

When she arrived at Banora, she was surprised to see Xigbar already waiting for her by Genesis’ door. He was posed against the wall with his arms and legs crossed together as if he owned the house he was leaning on. 

She stopped. “Xiggy, what are you doing here?” What indeed, for all that she knew of him, she knew he didn’t just show up places without some sort of intent behind it. 

He didn’t refrain from his relaxed posture. “I’m here to run an errand, kitten,” his eye glanced over her and his lips curled into a smirk. “You look good. Cut your hair?”

Holding up the ends of her hair before letting it fall back into place, she smiled. “Yeah, I did.” Grabbing her hair and pulling it to the front, she felt her back being exposed to the air. Since she always needed her wings, it would be inconvenient to have them rip a hole in her shirt every time she summoned them- so she wore a shirt that allowed her freedom in that aspect. 

A tight, black long-sleeve that ended at her elbows with a deep v exposing most of her upper back was the choice today, with dark-washed jeans cuffed at the bottom just above the red heeled sandals she wore. Along with the light face of makeup she wore, she almost felt herself. Almost. 

“You look gorgeous,” he mused as he jutted a thumb to point inside. “They’re waiting for you, you should go in.” 

Swallowing, she nodded and went over to the door, her hand poised on the handle as she suddenly froze in place. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked her, noticing how her body went rigid. 

“Nothing,” she muttered and in one swift motion, opened the door and stepped inside. When she did however, she only went rigid once more. 

Inside in the living room area sat Genesis, Sephiroth, Angeal.. and Serah. 

Xigbar walked behind her and pushed her in gently with his finger tapping against her back to let her know in a non-verbal way that it would be alright. 

Genesis glanced at her. “Hey, about time you showed up.”

“That means we can get started,” Angeal said without looking up and Lady felt a sting hit her chest. Such a small gesture caused that. She really needed to calm herself down. His head was down and he was tapping a few keys on the laptop he had in front of him. He turned to look at Serah, who sat beside him. “Sorry, this is private information that we’re about to disclose. Do you mind..?” 

“Yeah, of course!” she quickly got up and came face-to-face with Lady. Her brown eyes widened as she looked at her up and down. “Oh, you must the woman Angeal told me about! You were.. uhh,” she searched for the right word to use and so Lady helped her out. 

“Ex,” Lady finished for her. 

“Ex?”

“Ex-SOLDIER.”

“I didn’t know Shinra allowed women in their top ranks!” 

“Well,” a wry smile twisted Lady’s lips. “Guess I was just special.”

Serah leaned forward close to look at her face. “You’re so pretty! I couldn’t imagine you being a SOLDIER!” 

Lady’s smile tightened. “Thank you, so are you.”

“Well, I held you guys up long enough. I’ll see you later Angeal!” Serah scrunched up her apron and turned to wave at Angeal who finally looked up from his laptop to wave goodbye at her before she exited the home and left them alone. 

Angeal then motioned to the now vacant seat beside him, “Want to sit-”

“I’ll stand,” she kept her eyes trained on the projection that the laptop displayed onto the television screen in front of them. 

Genesis gave her a once-over. “You cut your hair, huh?”

“What am I here for?” her eyes remained on the screen still without bothering to look at them. It was petty, sure, but she couldn’t help it. She wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. Genesis made a face of surprise that his comment went ignored and looked at Xigbar who stood behind her, he gave the other a shrug and a shake of his head before returning to the subject at hand. 

“They, uh-” Angeal cleared his throat when Genesis shared that same confused look with him, “-they said they found someone who might help you with your mark.” 

“Who?”

“You’d have to meet them outside of Insomnia.”

“That’s a bad idea.” 

“It would be in the outskirts, more towards Leide. A convoy will meet you there along with a group to secure the perimeter,” said Angeal. 

Lady did a sharp inhale. “Who is this person that’s supposed to help me?”

Angeal gave her a weary glance. “It didn’t specify. It just said to meet there.”

Her options were limited at this point. She couldn’t just keep avoiding Insomnia if she wanted to actually get some real investigations done, plus she wanted to see Noctis, Prompto, Ignis, and Gladio too. But a risk like that.. could it be worth it? Leide wasn’t too far from the Crown City. Close but not close enough. 

She guessed she would have to do it. “Fine, I’m going,” she turned to leave but Angeal reached over to catch her arm. 

“Wait, we’re going with you. For added security,” he said. 

“I don’t need it,” she relinquished her arm from him. 

“Don’t be stubborn about this,” Sephiroth butted in. “You might need the backup if you’re so close to the Draconian’s hunting grounds.”

_Don’t care,_ was what she wanted to say, what came out instead was: “Cool.” 

“Why are you being like this?” he asked and she tightened her fist. Even she couldn’t rightly say why herself. 

“I don’t need you three with me at all times,” she said in a voice that sounded like an irritated growl. “Besides,” her body felt cold at the tips of her fingers with heat rising from her stomach. “You guys seem busy here.” 

“We’re not,” Genesis frowned. “That’s why he’s here,” he said, pointing to Xigbar. “We’re coming with you.” 

“We will be with you when it happens, just in case anything happens to you,” added Sephiroth. 

“Are the Jenova cells still attaching you three to me? Or can we stop pretending already?” 

_Oops._ Before she could stop herself, the words spilled out of her mouth before she could plug it up. 

Angeal stood up. “Is that why you’re so upset? You think we don’t care about you?”

“I don’t know,” she hissed. “You tell me. The cells were the only thing connecting us, now they’re gone and so is its’ influence. Aren’t you tired of playing Jenova’s lapdog?”

From the look on their faces, she could tell her that they were hurt- slapping them across their cheeks with cold and bitter words. 

“We can talk about this later,” Angeal’s voice was low, his irritation and hurt clear in his deep blue eyes. “Right now, we’re going with you whether you like it or not.”

Sephiroth and Genesis rose to stand beside him and she gritted her teeth. “Fine,” she muttered, “do what you want, I could care less.”

When she turned around, Xigbar already had the corridor of darkness up and ready. She quickly walked past him and into the cold portal; from behind her she could hear him mutter something along the words of ‘oh boy’ as well as the other three following her in. She quickened her pace and became irritated when she heard them try to match hers. With eyes set on the other opening at the end of the tunnel, she quickly stepped through and was met with dry, hot winds. 

Almost immediately she was barraged by a cloud of dirt that picked up from the ground and she saw a group of people standing not too far from their arrival point. Lady grounded her feet and blinked through the sun’s bright rays that showered the land generously, walking towards whom she assumed were the people meant to help her. Their figures blurred by the heated haze were soon revealed and her brows furrowed when she saw the five standing there.

Prompto, Ignis, Gladio, and Noctis stood beside another woman clad in black with a white fox mask covering her face. When Prompto saw Lady, he made ready to move towards her with an excited face but was stopped by the woman in the black kimono. In front of them, she noticed that a line was drawn on the ground and so Lady stopped right where her toes met the partition. 

The four Lucians were happy to see her again and she gave them a reassuring nod before turning her attention to the woman in black. Oh how she wanted to run and hug them all after so long- but the woman they stood next to sent a chill up her spine. Something about her.. It was off putting. 

“Who are you?” she asked as the three ex-SOLDIER’s and Xigbar moved to stand behind her. 

“It’s been a long time,” the woman reached up to remove her mask and when her face was revealed, Lady’s fists tightened. 

“You’ve grown to be an elegant young woman, daughter,” Onna’s tone was soft and if it raised any higher, it might’ve possibly shattered what remained of Lady’s temper. 

“What are you doing here?” Lady hissed, her tone hostile and hot. 

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m here to help you. I would apologize for the secrecy, but I had a feeling if you knew my identity, you wouldn’t have come willingly.”

“You’re damn right I wouldn’t have,” said Lady and a bout of awkward silence filled the group but she didn’t feel it. Right now it felt like the only two people in this large arid land was her, and her mother. 

Onna’s eyes shimmered with sadness. “My darling-”

“ _Thirteen years_ ,” Lady cut her off, her anger returning to her. “Thirteen _fucking_ years and not a single word from you. I even _wro_ _te_ to you but no response.. and now you show up, claiming you can help me?”

Her mother’s eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t have understood.”

“Understood?” Lady scoffed loudly. “Where were you when dad died, huh?” This seemed to have struck a nerve in her as Onna’s usually calm face darkened. “Where were you when he got ripped to _shreds_ by monsters?!”

Onna took a deep breath. “This is a topic best saved for closed doors. You would do this in front of your friends?”

“I could care less who sees, I want answers _now_.”

“I understand you’ve been through a lot. But right now is not a good time.”

“You couldn’t possibly understand-” Lady’s voice rose, “- _what_ I’ve been through!”

Her mother’s eyes dimmed in color and her voice became cold. “Neither could you.”

The sky darkened above, hiding the once bright sun that shone down on them and replaced them with rumbling clouds as the sound of thunder rolled from afar- telling everyone that it would soon light up the sky. 

Xigbar looked up and then to Lady, he knew she always had the habit of making a storm when things got particularly bad inside her mind. Reaching to touch her shoulder, he spoke softly, “Hey, let’s calm down, you don’t have to do that.” 

“It’s not me,” Lady said without looking at him. 

His one good eye looked up at her mom to see the woman’s eyes glow with red vibrancy. The outline of her pupils turned yellow in color before she blinked and they returned back to normal, yet a faint red glow was still visible just under the layer of her iris. 

“You were a child,” Onna said slowly. “I couldn’t possibly tell you. But I promise.. I’ll tell you everything, just allow me time.” 

“You promised me something similar,” Lady’s voice cracked. “Right before you left dad’s funeral.” 

A strike of white thunder cascaded from the sky above and Onna looked behind her, towards Insomnia. Her head then snapped back to Lady, “We’ve attracted too much attention. It seems we’ll have to take this elsewhere.” She turned to Noctis and bowed her head. “Your Highness, it’s been an honor having you host us here.”

“Wha-” Noctis seemed surprised. “Wait, wherever you guys are going- I’m going too!” 

“That makes all four of us,” Gladio nodded to them. 

Light shone from afar and Onna appeared concerned more so for the others rather than herself. “The Dragon is coming, best be quick.”

“Come on then,” Xigbar pointed to his newly conjured portal. “Through here!”

Lady’s eyes were fixated on the flashing lights above, signaling the Draconian’s arrival; drawn to it like a moth to a flame. She could feel his presence closing in, like a hand around her throat. 

“Lady, c’mon!” Noctis grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. “Let’s go!”

His voice made her snap out of her daze and tore her eyes from the sight. “Right behind you,” she murmured as she turned tail and followed them into the portal. As soon as her back faced the other way, she felt something strike her there- lighting up her whole body with waves of electricity. If it wasn’t for Noctis holding onto her hand, she would’ve fell to her knees as the shock overtook her. 

They all ran and ran until the ending was in sight and soon saw the familiar scenery of Radiant Garden. The warm air was replaced by a pleasant breeze when they arrived at the lower courtyard right before the castle gates and she could see people waiting as if on standby. 

“Onna!” a gruff voice called out to her mother, causing her to blink. She knew that voice. _Oh gods, if he was here then that means-_

“You’re back!” a light voice came next, belonging to a girl with shoulder-length brown hair and heterochromatic eyes, one being blue and one being green. She wore a sash that wrapped around her neck to cover her chest and the black camisole top beneath; at her waist was a yellow floral-printed obi that gave way to a long purple skirt tailed with pink and white flowers. _Yuna, what’s she doing here?_

“You guys okay?” a guy with disheveled spiky blond hair asked, his uniform a mix of soft yellow layered under black shorts that was marked with the signature of the Zanarkand Abes. A blitzball player.. _Tidus? Damn, he’s here too?_

Jecht approached Onna along with two others. _Auron and Braska. What’s going on?_ She didn’t have much time to process what happened, as she put her hand to her chest and knelt on the ground; her breath escaping her more than she would like it to. 

“Lady, what’s wrong?!” Noctis and Prompto sank by her side and she waved them away. 

“I’m fine,” she wheezed, her eyes half-lidded. “Just.. out of breath.” Leaning forward to catch herself on her hands, the upper portion of her back made visible to them- as well as the long, transparent sword that struck her there. 

It sank into her body and she immediately sat up, her eyes glowing a bright blue as the sigil on her chest began to give off pulses of energy. 

Onna’s eyes narrowed. “Damn,” she hissed and looked to Auron. “No time, hand it over!” At her command, the man in the red haori tossed a sword, sending it flying in the air until she finally caught it. “Your Highness, Prompto, please move.” 

“You heard the boss,” Jecht called out to those still standing in the courtyard’s proximity. “Move your asses!” 

Transparent wings unfurled behind Lady and she moved to stand until Onna summoned ropes of satin that rose from her outstretched palm, strapping her daughter down to prevent her from flying away. On her knees, Lady watched as Onna discarded the scabbard of her sword and brought the sharp blade close to her face. 

The binds that held her down hummed with energy as they restrained her as best they could. Lady’s face only displayed hostility as the tip of her mother’s sword found its way to the center of her chest. Though, Lady’s sigil stood fast against the blade, giving off giant pulses of waves that send blasts of winds all around her to resist those who would try to dispel it; it looked hopeless until Onna moved her palm to the butt of the blade, pushing it further as her eyes began giving off a red glow. With one last push, the sigil cracked loudly under the blade’s piercing pressure and finally gave way. 

Crystalline shards fell to the ground as if a mirror had come undone around them, it then quickly dissipated into the ground as Lady’s wings disappeared and her eyes returned to her normal hue. Onna let the sword drop to the ground and picked up the bottom part of her kimono to run to her daughter’s side before she could fall. Catching her, Onna sat on her knees and watched as Lady’s head lolled to the side into her arm. Her mother caressed her face, wiping off the stray strands of hair that covered her. 

“You’re finally free,” Onna sighed, relieved that the plan went off without a hitch for the most part. Jecht, Braska, and Auron approached the two as she silently held her daughter. 

“You doin’ okay?” Jecht asked quietly. 

“Yes,” she responded. “She needs rest but she’ll be fine.” 

“What about you? You know you shouldn’t exert yourself,” Braska added. 

“You three worry too much about me,” Onna smiled. “Come, help me take her inside.” As Jecht knelt down and took Lady into his arms, he turned around to start walking to the castle. 

Auron slowed down to walk beside her. “How did she react, after all this time?”

She hesitated. “Not too well.”

“I can imagine. Will you talk to her soon?”

Another sigh escaped her. “I hope so. I wish to tell her everything.”

*******

Onna wiped her hands together and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she exited her daughter’s room, walking over to the meeting room where her companions stood. 

When Angeal saw her enter, he stood up immediately. “Will she be okay?”

“Yes,” she assured him. “She’ll be fine. She’s made of stronger stuff, you should know that, right?”

“She never really spoke about her parents,” said Genesis, observing her quietly. “Why would you come now?” 

She gave him a tight-lipped smile. “There were.. complications.”

“What sort of complications?” asked Sephiroth. 

“It’s a long story,” she replied, taking a seat on a chair. “I was instead hoping you’d tell me what my daughter’s been up to.”

“Wait,” Genesis interjected before the topic went too far. “What I want to know first is just how you were able to break the seal. I couldn’t leave a dent on it myself, so what makes your attempt any different?”

Onna had a sly smile on her face as she rested her chin on top of her intertwined fingers. “Perhaps my magic is just stronger?” When Genesis made a face at her answer, she chuckled. “Now I think you owe me a story on what’s happened thus far.”

*******

Noctis played with his finger, looking at how the insides were slightly calloused from days training and using the sword. He looked up at Lady who was sleeping soundly with the blanket up to her stomach. 

“It’s.. good to see you again,” he said quietly. “I never thought I would.”

No response. Of course. How could she? She was out cold. 

“I know the other guys were as relieved as I was. I told dad, he’s happy to know you’re safe- for the most part I guess,” he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “I’m just glad you’re here.” 

He fiddled his thumbs together. “You know there’s a lot of video games that released that you have to catch up on. I missed playing them with you.” 

“Well, I should get started on that, shouldn’t I?” 

Noctis looked up at Lady who smiled at him wearily. Her face looked tired and her voice was raspy but she looked happy to see him nonetheless. Reaching for his hand, Noctis scooted his chair closer to her bed to meet her hand half-way. 

“How much of that did you hear?” he asked. 

“Enough to know you were a hopeless loser without me,” she let out a small laugh that turned into a cough. 

“Don’t push yourself,” he frowned and she turned her head on the pillow as she waved away his worry.

“I’m glad to see you too, Noct. Really glad.”

A knock on the door got both of their attention and their eyes looked to see it crack open as a head of auburn hair stuck in. _Genesis._

“Can we take the room?” he asked and Noctis gave her one last squeeze of her hand before relenting. 

“Uh.. sure,” the prince threw her a reluctant glance and she urged him to go. It was just Genesis, she could handle it. But when she saw the door open more and a head of black and silver followed inside, she bit her lip. _Mmm, fuck._

Noctis got up to leave and she was so tempted to reach forward to grab him and beg for him not to leave her with those three but when she tried to move her arm at her command, it didn’t budge. Noctis left and was replaced by Gen, Seph, and Angeal. _Oh gods, what now?_ They were going to confront her about earlier, she could feel it. Her body refused to move on its own save for her hands and her head- that was all the mercy she was given. 

Genesis sat on the bed, the mattress dipping under his weight as he looked at her with a pensive stare. “Care to explain your crass attitude earlier?” 

“No,” she said through gritted teeth and turned her head the other way. “Leave me alone.” When her face turned to the wall containing her window to the outside world, she saw Angeal leaning on it with an equally stern face. To make matters worse, Sephiroth stood at the head of the bed against one of the posters holding up the canopy. She was surrounded. No matter where she looked, she would still receive a mako-infused glare. 

“I said we’d talk about this later so here we are,” said Angeal. “Why were you being so rude towards Serah?”

Lady scoffed, her eyes fixated on the ceiling. “ _Rude?!_ I wasn’t rude! I told her she was pretty! Is this seriously the first thing you want to talk about after I just woke up?” She willed her body to move but slumped back into the mattress in defeat.

“You won’t be able to move from here,” Genesis said in his usual caustic tone. 

“Then I’ll drag myself across the floor with my teeth,” she hissed. Angeal sighed and called her real name which made her snap her head towards him. “Ew,” she made a face, “don’t call me by my assigned birth name.”

“How many nicknames have you had?” Sephiroth asked from above her head. 

“Too many to count.” Swallowing, she closed her eyes. “Will you three just _please_ get out? I want to be alone right now.” 

Genesis brows knitted together. “But-”

“For fuck’s sake Gen!” Lady said loudly, her tone rising with frustration as her fingers dug into the blanket. “For once in your life, can’t you do something without arguing back? There’s no hidden meanings, no secret messages- I just want you three to get the hell out and leave me alone!” The roaring anger that left her was soon replaced with dull despair and she felt a cavity where her heart was that ached painfully. 

“Fine,” Genesis tone was cold and seething. The bed felt lighter as he lifted himself up to exit the room. Part of her wanted to run towards him and apologize, but that instinct was overridden as Angeal pushed himself off the wall to follow.

“I don’t know what the hell’s wrong with you,” he muttered before exiting the room and lastly, Sephiroth left too. His silence was telling as the door shut firmly behind him, leaving her with what she told them she wanted. To be left alone. Complete and utter isolation. It was what she told them she wanted. What she yelled out in the heat of anger. 

“Shit,” she whimpered out in a cracked voice as she raised her arm to her eyes to try and shut off the hot tears that swelled up in her eyes. “Shit, shit, shit!” Why was it so hard to talk to them? She always did when she felt troubled, but why was it so different now? 

A knock on her door made her muffle her sniffling as she cleared her throat before answering. “I want to be alone, please!” she croaked out but the knocks didn’t stop. “I said- please leave me alone!” 

When it didn’t stop, she willed herself to get up and at last, her body seemed to obey her command. _How convenient that it chooses to move now._ Picking up a pillow, she flung it at the door just as it opened and shut and the pillow was caught by none other than Xigbar. 

“Xig!” Lady gasped as he examined the caught pillow. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know it was you!”

“You figured it was one of those three?” he questioned as he tossed the pillow back onto her bed. 

“How-”

“Saw them walking away with their faces looking like a storm was brewing on it. You guys get into a fight?”

She bit her lip as she fought back tears. “No.”

“You’re a horrible liar.”

He sat on the bed beside her, taking up the spot where Genesis did. “Come on princess, tell me. You can talk to me, ya know?”

“How would you feel, if someone loved you for what you had and not for what you are?”

“Hm,” he made a face. “I assume I’d feel like shit.”

Lady swallowed and looked up at the man. Sniffing, she squeezed her eyes shut to blink away the last of her tears before she confessed. “What Ienzo said before.. it bothered me so much. To think that they- _you guys_ , cared about me only because Jenova’s cells were beckoning you. Especially with those three. Did they only ‘love’ me because of that parasite that lived inside of me? Did you guys only care about me because Jenova commanded you to?” 

She took a moment to breathe. “And to top it all off, my mother showed up. After all these years, I-” she shook her head, “-that’s another thing to unpack for another day. There’s just so much, I can’t process it all.” 

“Woah there,” he patted her leg. “Let’s start from the beginning, what made you feel like this?” 

Taking heed of his advice, she opened up to him even more. About how she saw those three with those other women, how it made her feel. The conflict- the _jealousy_ she felt about seeing that, about seeing _them_. Her doubts about their love. Her doubts about everything. And soon her talking became incoherent ramblings as she began to feel anxiety take over her senses. 

“Hey,” he shushed her and pulled her up towards him, patting her back as her breathing returned to normal. “You got a lot going on.. I think I might have something to cheer you up.”

“What is it?”

“You’ll see, come on. Wipe those tears and follow me.” 

*******

Lady slammed the glass down on the counter, feeling the liquid burn down her esophagus. “Heyyy barkeep, can I _-hic-_ have ano _-hic-_ ther?” 

The bartender gave Xigbar a weary glance who only raise his glass for affirmation. “Got fired from her job and her boyfriend just broke up with her.”

Nodding his head with a slight ‘ah’ of understanding, he poured her another glass as she quickly downed it and set the now empty shot glass on the counter- expecting another quick refill. 

“Know what,” the bartender set the large bottle down and raised his hands in defeat. “Just keep the damn thing,” he then looked to Xigbar. “Is this going on your tab or hers?” 

Xigbar slid over some money across the counter, enough to make the bartender’s eyes widen. “She’s had a rough day, just keep ‘em comin’. I’ll throw in a tip for ya if you get her one of those cakes to snack on,” he said pointing at the decadent looking piece of frosted chocolate cake sitting in a large glass container. 

He nodded and immediately went to fulfill the request just as Lady downed another shot. Her eyes lazily looking from the measly glass in her hand as opposed to the large bottle; she knew where her priorities laid and so she swapped the glass for the whole thing. Drinking straight from the bottle was not something she did often, but tonight was an exception. A satisfied smile widened on her face as a slice of chocolate cake was placed right in front of her. 

“Oh, choccy cake..” she dug a fork into it and lifted it into her mouth. The sweetness was welcome after bouts of bitter alcohol that burned her everytime she took a shot, now the chocolate soothed her tongue and numbed her jowls as she took it bite by bite. 

“I can’t-” she paused as another hiccup escaped her, “be- _lieve_ that Bahamut the shithead did that to me. Can you, Shiggy?” 

Xigbar hid his laugh behind his glass. It’s worth mentioning that it was his only glass of that night, since he promised himself he should be sober to babysit her. “No, princess, I can’t believe it.”

“But, Shigbaarrrr,” she moaned as she set her head down on the table, pushing the now empty plate away from her. “It’sh sho unfair. I never wanted this!... Shiggy? I can’t feew my mouf.”

“I think that’s a sign that you should stop,” he reached over her to take the bottle from her but she quickly grabbed it and held it securely by her arms, hoarding it like a dragon would its coveted treasure. 

“Nooo!” she whined. “It’sh mine!!”

“Okay, okay, calm down kitten,” he downed the rest of his drink before getting up to hoist her arm around his shoulder with his other hand gripping her waist. “Come on now, up you go.”

With the bottle still gripped in her other hand, she hung onto Xigbar for dear life as she hummed a little ditty while they exited the bar. “You feelin’ better, princess?”

“My mouf ish sho numb..” she repeated herself then gasped. “I can’t feew my toesh!”

“I’ll take that as a yes, okay we should take you back to your room.”

“Wait!” she pulled away from him and nearly fell over in her attempt to do so. “Shiggy, I wanna do shomething.” Her brows furrowed together as she thought hard and then her eyes lit up with excitement as she turned around and grasped his face, the bottle in her hand colliding with his cheek. He let out a small ‘ow’ that was overshadowed by her excited chatter, “There’sh shomething I aalllwaays wanted to do!” 

Her face leaned closer to his and only now could he see the blush on her face that wasn’t visible under the bar’s shoddy lighting. “Will you do it with me?” she said it with half-lidded eyes and parted lips that her tongue darted out to lick and coat with a generous amount of saliva. 

A bemused smile played on his lips and he grabbed her by the waist, “What is it, sweetheart?”

“You have to keep it a seecreett,” she put a finger to her lips and he nodded. “Got it? Good, now follow me.” 

*******

A dull thud made Genesis stir and look up at the clock that displayed the time which was ‘5:37’. Who could it be making such a clamor? And in the morning, no less? Getting up, he looked to the other two who were still sound asleep and pressed his ear against the door. From beyond he could hear off-key humming followed by hiccups that seemed to try and follow the flow of the song, of course it still remained a poor performance. 

“Who’s the drunken idiot up this late?” Genesis muttered to himself before opening the door and poking his head out. At the end of the hallway he could see a figure leaning against the wall for support and he sighed to himself. He might as well investigate before whoever it was hurt themselves even more. As he got closer, he made a face when he realized who it was.

The drunken idiot was none other than Lady. 

She was humming a small song that seemed to change pace every few notes, and she tapped along the rim of the bottle as she tried to push herself off the wall. When she noticed Genesis’ presence, she turned around with a goofy smile plastered on her face. “Sir, can you help me find my room?” When he got closer, she gasped and did a small wave. “Hi, Gen-e-shish, how’z it goin’?”

He scrunched up his nose. “Are you drunk?”

“Drunk?” she frowned and shook her head. “Of course not!” she said this right before she raised her bottle to take another drink from it, the last of its contents emptying into her mouth before she gasped for air. 

“Come here,” he held her arm up to wrap around his neck and bent his knees to lift her in his arms. “I’ll take you to your room.”

“A ride!” she giggled as she snuggled into his neck. “I’m so happy!” Her breathing slowed as she inhaled the scent of his cologne that still lingered on his shirt collar. “Genesis, you smell really good.” 

“This is certainly a change of pace from earlier,” he muttered as they walked up a flight of stairs all the while she had her head against his shoulder, humming the same tune that had no real direction. 

“Gen?”

“Hm?”

“You.. do you lo-.. wait, no. Forget I said anything.”

“What’s with you today?” Genesis muttered as he balanced her in his arms while opening the door to her room. When he set her down on the bed, her eyes lingered on his face and she reached forward to grab his arm. 

“Don’t go,” she whispered, her eyes shimmering in the darkness of the room. “Can you stay.. till I fall asleep?”

One look at those eyes that begged and he gave in; instead of pulling up a chair on her bed, he laid beside her as she scooted over. “You probably won’t remember any of this when you wake up,” he murmured as he stroked her hair and recalled the times in the past where she did get extremely drunk and woke up with no memory of what happened the night before. 

She exhaled his name softly as her eyes fluttered asleep, appreciating the rhythmic strokes he provided for her as she was lulled into dreaming. That night she did dream; specifically about her past. The sensation of her throat burning from alcohol reminded her of the smoke that filled her lungs on that day. Of how the wisteria garden back home was up in flames. How the purple flowers turned red and orange and the green grass burnt to blackened crisps. Her father hid her in an old cellar where they used to store preserved fruit, lowering her down into the cool stone confines as he left her behind after urging her to stay there. 

When the sounds of the fire died down and she could no longer feel the flames through the cracks of the cellar door- she emerged and found nothing but a barren wasteland. Where the grass was burnt, she could see that some of it was red. Following the trail of red grass, her eyes widened when she saw her father propped up against a razed wisteria tree; his body possessing multiple cuts and contusions, as if wild animals were beset on him. 

In the morning, when Lady awoke, she found herself alone. Just like on the day when she emerged from that cellar. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, hope everyone's taking care of themselves during this pandemic!  
> Thanks to everyone stopping by to read my stuff~ (´ ∀ ` *)


	10. X

“You look like shit,” Lea looked up as Lady pulled up a seat at the table, cradling an ice pack on her head with her eyes so squinted that it looked like they were closed. 

“Thanks,” she muttered, balancing her head on her fist as she tried to focus on the glass of orange juice in front of her. “Ugh.. what happened last night?”

“You don’t remember?” Xigbar said with a large grin as she slowly shook her head. “You and I did some pretty extreme stuff last night.”

She took the time to process what he just said and when she did, her cheeks heated up. “Wha-? You don’t mean-“

“Yep, we even made headlines on the news.”

“Hah!” Lea cackled. “No way, where’s the proof?”

Without looking up, Xigbar grabbed the remote and pointed it at the projection screen; with it coming to life in vivid color, Lady squinted at the displayed headlines scrolling past. It read: ‘Midgar police search for individuals reported to have vandalized multiple boards across Sectors.” 

It then cut to a picture that displayed a large sign with the Shinra logo on it. On the bottom was bright red spray paint that spelled out: ‘Shinra suxx ass’ while another simply said ‘dont work 4 Shinra!!!’ and finally one that stated ‘I lived bitch’. 

“Below are the suspects that were seen spray painting the boards at around 3 am,” the reporter said as a blurred picture of two figures were posed in front of their newly painted artwork. A man in a black cloak was shown clearly holding back a woman by her waist while her two hands boldly showed off their middle fingers to whoever captured them on film. “Any tips to the Midgar police department would gladly be appreciated, onto other news..”

Xigbar then pressed a button that froze the screen where the two hooligans were captured on camera and gave a pointed look at Lady. “At least you smiled for the camera.”

“Oh gods,” she said as she looked at the screen, utterly mortified. Even more so when she saw the red paint caked under her fingernails, caught, quite literally, red-handed. 

“Just how intoxicated were you?” Isa raised his eyebrows in surprise at the chaos that apparently took place last night. 

“My grammar,” she muttered, still looking at the screen with her statements written in messy scrawl, “it’s horrendous.” Breaking apart an aspirin pill in her fist, she let it dissolve into her orange juice before downing it in one gulp. 

“Geez, you’re a messy swallower,” Xigbar tutted as he leaned forward to swipe the orange liquid that escaped from the side of her lips. From the other side of the table, Roxas saw this and his fists tightened just below the surface. His blue eyes trained on the older man, filled with hostility. 

“Hey, congrats on getting your seal off by the way!” Lea threw her a thumbs-up. “Didn’t know your mom would just show up outta the blue and help us out like that.”

“Yeah,” she said through gritted teeth. “Lucky us.” 

Through the door, Riku walked in with a curious look. “Hey, what’s everyone up to?”

Lady looked at him and gave him a lazy wave. “Good morning,” she stifled a yawn. 

He had a confused smile when he passed her by. “Morning?” he smirked. “It’s 3 pm.” 

Her eyes widened at this announcement. “Is it really? Oh my gods, why didn’t anyone wake me up?”

“With that hangover? You’d kill us on sight,” Lea scoffed. 

“You were hungover?” Riku mused. “What? Your boyfriend break up with you or something?”

She glared at him. “No!” she hissed. “I _don’t_ have a boyfriend and I don’t _need_ one, either!”

“Not like you’d get one with that attitude,” he grinned, obviously meaning it as a joke but it shot her like an arrow through the heart. Especially after last night. 

“Excuse me,” she muttered as she got up to leave. “I think I’m going for a walk.”

When she left the room, the guys turned to Riku who looked bewildered. “What? I say something wrong?”

*******

_This is the room they’re staying in, right?_ Lady knocked a couple times, waiting for a reply on the other side before she knocked once more. Inhaling deeply, she opened the door and peeked inside. Her disappointment was clear on her face when she realized she was knocking on an empty room. 

“They’re not there princess, they left this morning,” Xigbar put it arm up against the door frame and watched her look at the sheets as if they would just suddenly manifest a body. “Your mom and her group left too.”

“Why would they just leave without telling me..?”

“They said you needed your rest while they go investigate the strange going-ons and stuff. Noct-o and his buddies are gonna do what they can to see about the daemons, they said they’ll let us know if anything happens. They’re only trying to help you out.” 

Her shoulders slumped forward. “They’re not helping me out, they’re just trying to save their world. Like what a good samaritan would do.” Turning around, Xigbar moved to the side for her to brush past him. “Not like they need me for that,” she muttered. 

He caught her arm. “Hey, no need for that. Do I need to take you out for drinks again?”

Holding her head, she groaned. “Gods, please, no.” 

Tilting his head, he pondered on what to do until his eye flashed when an idea popped into his head. “I know, remember when you said you wanted to see me with cat ears?”

Her gloomy face lightened up as she turned to him. “You’ll do it?” she said excitedly. 

“For you,” he let out an indignant sound, “I guess I have to.” 

She let out an excited gasp as she took his arm and he led her towards his room. As she chatted with enthusiasm as to how he got the cat ears, he only chuckled and told her to wait patiently. When he unlocked the room to his door, Roxas, who sleeps in the room next to his, watched from the end of the hallway. Fuming silently, the blond watched as Xigbar gently pushed her into his room. Not even noticing how he was standing right there as the door shut tightly along with the unmistakable sound of a lock clicking. 

Inside, Lady immediately began perusing through his belongings and admiring the diagrams he hung up on the wall. On his desk he had a picture framed which she immediately recognized. Picking it up, she pointed at it with a huge smile. “Hey! This is the picture you took of me during our date at the observatory!” 

“Yep,” he smiled, “couldn’t help showing it off, y’know?” He dug through his drawers until he picked up a flat square box. Opening it, she peeked over his shoulder as he revealed the contents of said box. What was inside left her confused. As she saw white and black frills with pink ribbons. 

“Uh..” she cleared her throat. “You sure that’s yours? But hey, I mean if you’re into that sort of thing, then I’m not gonna judge you.”

“You really think I’m like that?” he looked to her as he fished the furry white cat-eared headband from the box and held it up to show her. “They didn’t sell it separately so they sold me the entire thing.”

“Suuuure,” she grinned. “Why would you have it in the first place?”

“Got it yesterday actually. Just had a feeling I would need it.”

“Uh-huh, perverted old man.”

“Try it on,” he said as he shoved the box into her arms. 

“What?!” her face flushed. “No way! You try it on!”

“It’s not gonna fit me, just put it on then I’ll put on the cat ears.”

“No,” she shook her head and tried to push the box back into his arms to which he whole-heartedly rejected it. “That’s not a fair trade.”

“Come on,” he pouted. “Think of it as a favor for me paying for drinks last night.”

_Oh, shit._ She didn’t even remember how much she drank last night, only assuming that it was a lot due to the amount of throbbing sensations she felt in her head. “Fine,” she relented, “gimme that.” Taking the frilly outfit from the box along with the matching black-strapped shoes, she marched into his bathroom and closed the door behind her while he examined the cat ears. 

Soon, the bathroom door opened and Lady stuck her head out. Her face contorted in deep, deep embarrassment. “You.. you really bought this?”

“Yeah, told you never know when I’ll need it,” he spun the headband around his finger. 

“It.. it fits me perfectly,” she squeaked out. “Was that a mistake or on purpose?”

“You tell me, babygirl,” he leaned against the dresser. “Let me see.”

Stepping out, she had her fists clenched tightly by her side with her face as pink as the ribbons that decorated the outfit. The dress was black and had puffed up short sleeves with white silk layering the ends as well as the bottom hem which ended at her lower thighs, just above her knees; a white apron with frills and a curved heart sewn into the middle breast pocket covered her front and tied around her waist to form a dangling ribbon that was begging to be unwound. 

“Hmm.. nice,” he grinned his cat-like grin with matching ears now poised atop his head. 

“No way,” she covered her face when his eye lingered on her too long. “This is too embarrassing, I’m taking it off!”

Before she could retreat back into the bathroom, he caught her by the wrist and held her there. “Hold on a minute, you don’t even have the complete outfit on yet.”

“There’s more?” she said in muted horror as she saw him fetch a pair of white stockings and cuffs from the box. _Of course there’s more._ He backed her up against the wall and knelt down, taking her right foot and putting it on his knee as he shimmied the stockings onto her leg before repeating this motion with the other. When it was on, he grabbed the garter belt beneath the skirt casually and clipped it onto the stockings to secure it then tucked her feet into the new shoes with a short click. 

“There we go,” he stood back up and hummed to himself in amusement as he held her wrists towards him while he wrapped white sleeve cuffs around it before securing the cufflink together. “Wait a second,” he grabbed the cat ears from his head, “I think these would look better on you.”

Placing it on her head, he stepped back to admire his work. “You look like a real maid. Now what was that thing that maids say when you walk into their café?” 

“I wouldn’t know,” she muttered, hiding her face from him. 

He grabbed her chin and lifted it up. “Yes you do, you gonna say it for me?” 

Hesitating, she grabbed the ends of her maid uniform and did a small curtsy. “W-welcome home, master.”

Satisfied at her mock performance, he patted her head just between her newly appointed ears. “Really good work, oh, but what’s this?” he grinned. “We forgot your tail.”

“My _what?!_ ”

*******

Roxas leaned against the wall, sitting on his bed with his phone in his hand. Scrolling through his pictures, he froze when he heard a thump against the wall behind him followed by a surprised moan that was stifled by the partition separating the rooms. He frowned and thought about the layout of the hallways, Lea’s was to his left.. 

At the realization, he gripped his fists together. Xigbar was to the right. Behind the wall he was sitting against right now. 

_“-iggy, you’re.. -inching me!”_

_“-elax.. It’ll be -ver soon.”_

Some of the words were muffled but he could still hear their conversation clear as day. Swallowing hard, he cursed himself when he turned his ear towards the wall some more. 

_“That hurts!”_ Roxas could hear another soft moan that he only assumed to be Lady’s. _“Xig.. what if it doesn’t come off?”_

_“Of course it will. Don’t you worry kitten.”_

_“Oh.. ahn!”_

_“Stop squirming so much.”_

_“But it tickles, haaah!”_

Roxas had to remind himself to relax his fists when he felt his nails dig into his palm. Shaking his head he muttered, “The hell am I doing?” He should’ve pulled away and continued to be on his phone on the other side of the room like any normal person would do. But a part of him was so desperately curious about what was happening, though he could’ve easily guessed what was taking place behind that locked door. He swallowed another mouthful of saliva when he heard another thump followed by soft sighs. 

“Get ahold of yourself, idiot,” he muttered to himself as he tried to pull himself away. “Pull. Away.”

_“You’re making too much noise, princess.”_

_“I can’t help it!... Wait. Isn’t the room right next to yours Roxas’- ahh!”_

The blond squeezed his eyes shut and let out a breath nasally. That sound of Lady saying his name followed with a moan right after woke up something inside him. Something hungry. Relaxing, he calmed himself and glanced down at his crotch. _Oh, shit._ He was hard. 

*******

“There really is no graceful way to attach this, huh,” Xigbar tightened the fluffy white tail to the back end of her garter belt to make it appear as if it actually belonged to her. Backing off, he looked at her with her hands plastered against the wall with her face red from embarrassment. With a grin, he put his closed fist above his ear, “Now say ‘nyah’!” 

“Fuck you,” she growled as she looked down at her faux tail. 

“You look, de-licious,” he smiled. 

“I want to take this off now.”

“Nope. Let me take a picture,” he said as he dug in his pocket for his phone. 

“No way!” she reached forward to grab it from him and tossed it onto the bed. “No pictures! I’d rather die than have anyone else see me in this!”

“You’d rather die, huh?” he said with a low voice as he approached her. Her back pressed against the wall as he trapped her in with his arms. Leaning forward, she felt his breath on her ear. “Know what they call an orgasm in some worlds?” his hand reached down between her legs to grab onto the tail and pull it back out towards him. “They call it ‘the little death’.” 

Xigbar gave the tail a tight pull upwards so that it rubbed against her folds. She felt the faux fur tickling her clit and sent tingles up her body. 

“Xiggy?” she felt her whole face heating up. “What are you doing?”

“Shh,” he removed the fake tail and moved to wrap it around her wrists to tie behind her back. His hand slipped in front of her and she felt his long fingers rub at her slit through her panties. “You know what good kittens do right?” he purred into her ear. “They mewl.” With that, she felt a finger plunge into her and she let out a surprised gasp as he worked her; stroking her labia and flicking her clit just in time to match with how her body reacted to him. 

“X-xig, I- you’re making me.. ah!”

“That’s right, babygirl,” he grabbed her left breast, pinching her nipple as his other hand worked her with his middle and forefinger. “You’re getting so wet, does it feel good for you?”

She felt her own fluids drip down her thigh and she let out a moan that she was quick to cover up with her hand. When he saw this, he stopped and let out a sigh of.. disappointment?

“Don’t cover your mouth, kitten, I wanna hear you meow,” he leaned over and nipped her ear, “got that?”

She gulped and nodded, letting her hand fall and balance on the wall. _Hopefully Roxas couldn’t hear us right now._

*******

Roxas hesitated before unbuckling his belt and taking out his dick, holding it in his hand like a foreign object. With his ear pressed against the wall, he heard noises, _wet_ noises and the unmistakable sound of her sweet moans. Biting his lips, he subconsciously began stroking himself. 

When was the last time he masturbated? A month ago? Two? He never saw the need because he never felt satisfied afterwards anyways.

Closing his eyes, he focused on the sounds being provided to him and stroked faster. The building precum lubricating his palm and making it a slicker environment for his cock. He imagined that’s how it would feel inside of her. Wet and warm. He thought of what it would be like to have her bent over with her ass exposed to him, spreading her legs wide open while he took her. 

_“F-fuck, you’re being too rough!”_

He would fuck her until she screamed loudly. Until everyone down the hall could hear her moan his name. 

_“Xigbar! Fuck! Slow dow- ah!”_

No. She’d be yelling out his name instead. And he wouldn’t listen to her pleas for him to slow down- he would go faster. Just to give her the best orgasm she’d ever receive. And it’d be from him. 

*******

Xigbar looked at the slick juices that covered his hand with a smug smirk. She held onto him as her knees trembled and felt weak. His fingers played with the zipper of his pants as he whispered in her ear. “Kittens like milk, don’t they?”

“I guess?” she panted out. 

“Then come get some,” he purred and she heard his zipper and belt come undone as a hardened object sprang forth against her dress. Coating his cock with the remainder of her juices, he thoroughly lubricated it before urging her to get on her knees. “Such a good girl,” he said as he watched her kneel down. “Open your mouth for me, wider, wider- there we go. Stick your tongue out for me.”

She did as she was told, urged to please her ‘master’ as any good maid would do. He pressed the tip of his dick on her tongue and slid it forward slowly. “Make sure you get all of it okay? Don’t spill a drop,” he said as he held both sides of her head and pushed his member all the way to the back of her throat. 

Tears welled up in her eyes from the way it hit the back so suddenly,, blocking her airways as it did. Squeezing her thumbs into her palms, she didn’t wait for him to move her head for her so she bobbed it up and down on his length. 

“Oho, she knows what she wants, huh?” he chuckled and let out a small groan when she hollowed out her cheeks and had her tongue swirl over the tip when she pulled back. “That feels so good.” 

He watched her face, eyes half-lidded and lips wrapped around his cock that sucked him off with such force that it made him feel like his cum would spurt right out. He bit down on his bottom lip as she lifted a hand to stroke him while her tongue wrapped around the head, giving the slit a tentative kick before diving back down and doing her best to take the full length into her mouth. 

“Fuck, babygirl,” he growled. “You sure _I’m_ the pervert?”

*******

Roxas no longer heard her moans and assumed they’d stop. That is until he heard wet noises that sounded like someone deepthroating a popsicle-

_Wait. Is he getting a blowjob? Bastard._ The grip around his dick became tighter and he closed his eyes as he resumed stroking himself. What would her lips feel around his? He wondered what kind of lewd face she would make while she licked his dick up and down. A stray male groan alerted Roxas that whatever she was doing, she must’ve been doing it good. 

“Lady..” he said through gritted teeth as the sucking sounds became more urgent. Timing his strokes with the sounds of gargled noises as he imagined her on her knees in front of him. Pushing his legs further apart as she stuffed her mouth with his dick. Licking her lips, tasting the salty precum before diving back in and milking every last drop out of him. How would she look when he came on her face? Or maybe he would make her swallow it all. 

*******

“Fuck, hey, I think-” Xigbar let out a heady sigh as he smoothed down her hair, “-I’m cumming soon.”

Nodding, she reached his base and slowly trailed upwards before continuing at a fast pace that made him tighten his fist against the wall as he watched her head forwards and back on him. She felt the glans scrape against her tongue and felt his dick twitch- a sign of what was to come. When she heard his breaths get more and more frantic, she grasped his thighs and let the tip reach the back of her throat as hot semen shot out and down her throat. 

It proved to be a challenge as the more cum came out of him, the harder it was for her to swallow it all gracefully as the thick fluids had a tendency to cling onto the wall of her throat. When she released him, she did so with a loud pop with some stray strands of cum dripping from her lips. 

“Tch,” he clicked his tongue and wiped it with his thumb, pushing it into her mouth. “Still a messy swallower, aren’t you?” Her eyes looked up at him with innocence as she sucked the seed off of him before flashing him a smile. 

“Somehow, I think you like that,” she shot back and when he smiled back, she knew she was right on the money. She reached up and he helped her on her feet as her knees felt a bit weak from the time spent kneeling. “This stays between you and me, got that?” 

“Wouldn’t tell a soul,” he murmured with a mischievous glint in his eye. 

*******

Roxas’ shoulders rose and fell, his face flushed and hot as he looked down at the cum that now stained his sheets. _Great._ Now he’d have to do laundry without anyone around just in case they got nosy. His head rested against the wall, he was almost satisfied. _Almost._

He still couldn’t get that image of Lady writhing underneath him, screaming his name and leaving scratches down his back. It’s been so long, did she still look at him like a kid? Reaching over to his nightstand, he retrieved some tissues and began wiping himself. In a way he was almost ashamed that he got turned on by something so perverted, he almost felt like a voyeur. 

How would he even talk to her if at all? _Hey, Lady I know you sucked Xigbar off, think you can do the same for me? Yeah, right._ Then in a mocking voice, he imitated the man with the eyepatch's most famous catchphrase. “As if,” he scoffed loudly. 

Zipping up his pants, he stopped when he heard a loud crash coming from the lower courtyard. Dropping the tissues into the trash can, he ran to the window and searched for the origin of the noise until he saw traces of light and shadow coming to blows down below. Without hesitation, he bolted out of his room and down to where the fight was happening. 

*******

“Ugh,” Lady rinsed and gargled the last of the mouthwash out. “You’re always messing with me, do you consciously do it?”

“Dunno what you’re talking about,” Xigbar replied without looking up from his phone. 

Patting her lips dry, she walked over to him and put her hands on her lips. “Come on old man, don’t give me that-” suddenly, a scream cut her sentence short and she immediately turned her attention to it. Running to the window, she squinted and saw three figures fighting down in the courtyard. “Hey!” she turned to Xigbar. “We need to get down there!” 

Hoisting her leg over the windowsill, she didn’t wait for Xigbar to follow as she leaped off the window and down below. Her body straightened into an arrow and when the ground quickly approached, blasts of wind erupted from the ground and cushioned her fall. She landed amply on her feet and was met by a surprised Sora and Riku. 

“Lady!” they both greeted her, relieved to have backup. 

“Glad to see you guys are doing okay,” she greeted them back. 

“Hey guysss,” an irked voice called. “Feelin’ a little left out here!”

Lady blinked. _That voice!_ She knew that voice. When her eyes fell onto the shadowed figure clad in strange black armor with red veins, her face felt hot with rage. “Vanitas,” she growled. 

“The one and only,” he said and although she couldn’t see his face through the heavy mask he wore, she could tell that he was sneering underneath. “What’s wrong, sweet cheeks? Why are you making that face? Is it ‘cause you’re not happy to see me?”

“Shut up,” she growled. “Where’s Terra?! Is he with you?!”

“You just told me to shut up but now you want an answer? Make up your mind,” he shook his head. “Girls, I swear.” Putting his hand on his hip, he looked up at the sky. “Man, everywhere I go it’s always ‘Terra this!’ or ‘Terra that!’... What’s that feel like I wonder, to have people worry about you so much that they ask where you are all the time?” 

She hesitated for a moment, feeling the sincerity in his voice. “Riku, Sora, leave him to me,” she whispered and the silver-haired Keyblade wielder frowned but surprisingly, he didn’t put up a fight. 

“Fine, but if we see that you’re in trouble, we’re jumping in.”

“Wha-? Riku!” Sora whispered to his friend but was blatantly ignored. 

“Hah,” Vanitas chuckled, his masked visage returning to look back in her direction. “Guess I’ll never know.”

“How would you know, if you never gave people the chance to care about you?” she asked him and silence blew through the courtyard.

“The last thing I need,” his hand dropped and flexed as his Keyblade appeared in it. “Is your sympathy.” 

Charging forward, Lady ran to meet him halfway as his blade clashed with hers; materializing in a flash of white light that reflected off the glass of his mask. Her blade was in her hand, but it appeared to be half of its’ original length for her goal was to keep this fight short-distance. 

Their blades constantly clashed and slid off each other, meeting in the middle as she spun around and twisted the hilt to point upwards and jab him in the stomach. Vanitas let out a cough and his attacks became more impatient and violent. While he aimed to maim her in any sort of way, she aimed to disarm him and slow him down. His Keyblade swung on her just as her head moved to the side, the air beside her whistling as it came down.

“How long do you plan on beating around the bush? Are you even trying?” he jabbed at her to which she caught the Keyblade just in time with her hand. “And I thought you were some all-powerful goddess.”

Lady’s eyes peered at him. “Not quite.” Letting her sword disappear and coating her fist in solid ice, she landed an uppercut to his lower abdomen and felt the air being knocked out of him. “That’s payback, bitch.” 

Vanitas cursed loudly and brought his Keyblade down just as her hands came up to catch it. At the position she was at, she was forced to have one knee on the ground as she struggled to keep his blade away from her face. “You know how irritating Terra was when you were gone? All he kept talking about was getting you back. Maybe if I bring you, he’ll shut the hell up.” The Keyblade burned at her palms, feeling like a dull fire that razed at the insides of her fingers. 

“Lady!” another figure came running down the path to the lower courtyard. “Why aren’t you guys helping her?” Roxas arrived on the scene, his Keyblades already out and ready to be used until Riku held him back. “The hell are you doing?” he pushed through and began running towards her. 

“Roxas, no!” she yelled, her attention now focused on him. “Stay back!” When she turned back to Vanitas, she was swept off her feet and forced up with her arms restrained behind her back. Twisting her at the wrist, she let out a pained groan as he brought her forward to use her as a shield. 

“Stay back, loser, or your precious Lady’s gonna get her heart ripped open,” he flashed his Keyblade to show the sincerity of his threat and held it dangerously close to her. 

“Damn it,” Roxas cursed, he was looking for options but whatever was available to him was quickly disappearing as the window of opportunity dwindled. 

“Now,” Vanitas whispered to her. “You’re coming with me again.” Contorting her arm even more as she pressed her back closely to his chest. She could only turn her head and so she looked back at him with only half of her face visible. 

“Not this time,” she muttered, her voice cold and unfeeling. “I’ve got you right where I wanted.” Vanitas looked down as purple lightning erupted from her palms and shocked his entire body, making him release her. When her hands were free from his restraints, she turned swiftly on her heels and reached forward to catch Vanitas’ head with both of her hands. “ _You’re_ the one who’s coming with _me._ ” 

As she pulled his head towards him, she pulled hers away and brought it forth with such force that the blackened visor of his helmet cracked when her forehead made contact with it. Vanitas’ Keyblade dropped from his hand as he felt his world go black. The last thing he saw was Lady looking down at him with indifference. 

*******

“Tch. That hurts!” 

“Not my fault you headbutted him- see, you’re still bleeding! How hard is your head?!” 

“Are you going to kiss it?”

“D-don’t be weird!” 

“C’mon, Elrenaaa.”

Vanitas stirred, blinking a few times before his golden eyes looked up at a ceiling. 

“Well, well, look who’s up.” 

That voice made him turn his head towards the sound, sitting up as he let out a groan when his head began throbbing painfully. “Ugh,” he groaned, “what happened?”

“I knocked you out,” Lady squatted down, her hands poised on her knees. “I took off your helmet because it’s cracked and I didn’t want you to get shards in your eyes.” She pointed at the table where she set his helmet down and sure enough, there was a large crack on the part that used to cover his forehead. “How’re you feeling?”

“Like shit.”

“Good.”

“Elrena!” she said in a sing-song voice. “If you don’t mind.” As soon as she said that, a vaulted cage of bright yellow electricity formed around him and effectively trapped him in. 

“Hey!” he got up and touched the bars of the cage against his better judgement, pulling back with a pained hiss as it shocked his whole system. “What the hell do you want?”

“How can we help Terra?” Lady crossed her arms with a mean look crossing her face. 

Vanitas smirked. “You think you scare me? Dressed in _that_?” he pointed at her outfit which happened to be the maid outfit from earlier, complete with cat ears and a tail. She hadn’t the time to change out of it earlier and so there she stood as a perverted man’s fantasy girl. 

“Yeah, what’s up with your outfit?” Riku looked her up and down, now getting a chance to take a closer look to see what she was wearing. “Are you a maid?”

“I think they’re called cat-girls?” Ienzo said in a matter-of-fact tone. Lady tossed him an ungrateful look and behind him, she could see Roxas who stood against the wall. When his eyes met with hers and she gave a small wave, his head quickly ducked down which left her confused. 

“Anyways!” Lady cleared her throat. “Cooperate with us and no harm will come to you.”

“You think I care?” Vanitas gave her an unimpressed glare. 

“Boy, he sure does look like Sora,” Riku muttered. “If Sora was a huge asshole.” 

“Come on kiddo,” Xigbar stepped forward. “Don’t be so difficult, it’s not like you care much about that old man anyways, right?” He referred to Xehanort and Vanitas frowned at the mention of the old Keyblade Master’s name. “Help us out.”

“Tch,” Vanitas looked irritated and trained his golden eyes on Lady. “Fine. I’ll tell you, but you have to come closer.”

Elrena threw a protective hand over Lady, “Don’t be weird, twerp. I’ll zap you into a crisp.”

“Elly, it’s okay,” Lady patted her shoulder. “I think he gets the idea already.” 

“Ugh, fine.”

“So you’re fine with her calling you that, but not Emyd?” Lea raised an eyebrow to which she threw him a hostile glare. 

Lady stepped closer to Vanitas’ cage and he looked at her with an unimpressed face. “Closer,” he said with a beckoning hand motion. 

She took another step. 

“Closer.”

And another. 

“Closer.”

Aaaand another. 

Her feet felt the jolt of electricity tingle her toes and travel up her stockings. Vanitas stood up and beckoned her with a finger. “Just a little more,” he said as his face neared the outside and hers did the same. Then in one fell swoop, his hands snaked through the bars and grabbed the back of her head. Pushing her closer in as his lips connected with hers and he left a lasting bite on her bottom lip before the electricity of the cage blew him backwards. 

“You little punk! I told you not to try anything!” Elrena snapped as her fingers crackled with lightning. Riku looked ready to come into the cage himself to beat the information out of him while Ienzo asked Lady if she was alright in a shushed voice. Lea and Isa held back Roxas as the blond marched over to the cage with the intent to murder clear on his face. 

“Wait,” Lady said, grabbing their attention as she wiped her bottom lip. Her finger had a spot of blood on it and she could taste the iron spread through her tongue. “You’re right,” she said to Vanitas. “We don’t seem to frighten you one bit and surely we’d have problems trying to get any information out of you.”

Vanitas sneered. 

“But I know someone who would.”

His sneer disappeared. 

She hopped over to Xigbar and got on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear. When he heard her, he nodded and opened up a corridor of darkness for her. “Be right back!” she said as she disappeared into it. 

“Wait,” said Isa. “How will she get back fast enough?”

His question was answered quickly as another corridor appeared minutes later. Cold filled the room as two sets of footsteps echoed from the void. Lady’s head appeared next to one with silver-white hair. Her arms were wrapped around the arm of a taller man with tanned skin and golden eyes. 

Roxas’ eyes narrowed. “Xemnas,” he said in a tone so hostile that the rest of the room went quiet when hearing the name. Given his history with all of them, they couldn’t be blamed. Isa and Lea’s face went pale. Ienzo bowed his head out of habit, averting his eyes so they wouldn’t meet Xemnas’. Elrena grinded her teeth together, her brows furrowed in a frustrated knot as she restrained herself from lashing out. Sora and Riku didn’t trust him one bit, but at the sight of Lady being so familiar around him- almost to the point where it seemed she was comfortable, they did their best to relax. 

Upon seeing him, Vanitas froze up and let out a nervous chuckle. “Heh, should’ve known you were bunked in with her.” He looked to Lady, “Is this really who you’re sending to bully me? Huh?” 

Lady’s eyes hardened, her face currently not giving an inch of sympathy away. She turned to Xemnas and nudged him, her eyes pleading as she whispered something incoherent that only he would hear. He then nodded and turned his golden eyes on Vanitas. 

“Okay everyone,” she turned to the group. “Let’s give these two some room!” 

Vanitas scrambled to get up on his feet. “What are you doing?” 

“Pay attention,” Xemnas’ deep voice commanded the younger man to look at him. Now that the old man wasn’t here to delegate their actions, Vanitas was no longer under Xehanort’s protection and Xemnas could do whatever he wanted. After the electrical cage around Vanitas disappeared, he frantically looked for a way to escape. When Xemnas saw this, the side of his lips tugged into a sadistic smile. “Leaving?” he asked. 

Lady was the last to withdraw as the others filed out of the room; only her, Xemnas, and Vanitas remained. She tugged on his arm with a mischievous smile, “Don’t be too harsh on him, okay?”

“Wo-woah, don’t leave me in here with him!” Vanitas cried angrily as newly formed barriers formed around him at Xemnas’ command. “Are you crazy?!”

“Hm,” she tapped her finger against her chin. “I would’ve stuck around if you hadn’t kissed me without my permission.” At the mention of this, Xemnas’ eyes glowed slightly with malice as Lady moved to leave the room. “Bye now!” she waved to Vanitas as she closed the door, the last thing she saw was the red flash of one of Xemnas’ ethereal blades shot forth from his palm. 

*******

“You think he’s done?” Lea asked. 

“Hmm. Why don’t you check?” Lady replied, looking at the time on her phone that displayed ‘5:56 pm’. 

A resounding crash was heard from beyond the door and Lea frowned. “Hell no, chief. He’ll kill me.” 

“So when were you going to tell us that Xemnas was with you the whole time?” Ienzo asked, his face clearly worried for her. 

“Ah, see, I meant to tell you sooner, but..”

“But?”

“But I forgot.”

Another crash followed by a muffled scream was heard. 

Isa folded his arms together. “And you’re sure he’s to be trusted?”

“I don’t see the harm in it,” she shrugged. 

Elrena seemed surprised. “Don’t you remember what he did to you?” 

Lady made a face. “Are we _really_ bringing up the past? Should I remind you all that most of you save for these three-” she pointed at Roxas, Lea, and Xigbar, “-tried to kill me at one point?”

Her eyes squinted at Isa, “ _You_ left scars and blood _everywhere_ and broke my furniture.”

Then Elrena, “You nearly electrocuted me to death.”

Finally to Ienzo, “You drugged me so hard that I thought the people I was with were my best friends.”

When their faces turned down in shame, Lady gave a satisfied ‘humph’. “Now does anyone else have a problem or anything else to say with Xemnas being here? No? I thought so.”

**6:30 pm**

When the minute hand reached the numeral VI on the large ornate clock outside of the meeting room, the door opened and Xemnas stepped out. He looked unharmed for the most part, a single hair wasn’t out of place. A great contrast to the chaos that ensued behind him as papers were strewn everywhere with chairs knocked over and burn marks decorating the white walls. Vanitas could be seen slumped in a chair, the ends of his hair looking slightly frazzled as he murmured unintelligible things under his breath. 

“He’s all yours,” Xemnas said as he motioned for her to enter the room. 

“I think we can take it from here, princess,” Xigbar brushed past her and entered the room. “You go relax.”

Isa slipped past her, followed by Lea as he stopped and turned to look at Xemnas. “Thanks, er, boss?” the redhead then quickly retreated into the room as Ienzo filed in rather quickly, not even looking in Lady’s direction. 

“I’m gonna take a bath,” Elrena stretched her arms above her head and walked up the hallways to find her way back to her room. Leaving only Roxas, Riku, and Sora as well as Lady and Xemnas. 

When she tried to hold Roxas’ gaze, he didn’t look back and she wondered why he couldn’t look at her. Exhaling, she turned to Xemnas and rugged on his arm. “You hungry? Let’s get something to eat.” 

“Will it be skewers on the beach again?” he asked, clearly pleased with the idea of having dinner with her. 

“No,” she laughed, “let’s get something here.” Pulling him with her, she passed the other three Keyblade wielders. “See ya guys later!” 

Sora gave her a hopeful grin with a wave as Riku merely looked on with disinterest. Roxas only watched, as Xemnas walked away with Lady.

*******

“We’re getting something to eat!” Lady announced to Dilan and Aeleus as she passed them up. The two acting guards merely looked at her then did a double-take when they saw Xemnas right beside her. They remained speechless as they watched their previous landlady hang onto the arm of their previous superior. 

“You’ve lived here before right?” she nudged him. “Do you know anywhere that’s good?”

“I spent most of my time researching the secrets of the heart,” he replied plainly. “There wasn’t enough time for me to partake in frivolities.”

“Hmm, I see. Well you don’t mind taking part in them now, right?”

“With you, I hope to be introduced to more.”

Both of them looked odd. Her in her maid uniform while he wore his black coat. It was enough to warrant lingering looks from strangers at the strangely dressed couple walking around Radiant Garden. 

“Thank you for coming on such short notice,” she smiled. 

“Of course,” he said, eyeing her over. “Your attire, it’s..”

She wanted to scream. _Why didn’t I change?!_ “Uh, well, sorry if it’s weird.” 

“Strangely, it suits you.” Xemnas held out his palm as white and black thorns rose from his gloves to form a white rose with a black stem and thorns. “For you,” he said while he tucked the rose in her breast pocket. “Gifts are common for those who are courting one another, correct?”

“Yeah,” she plucked the rose to hold to her nose. Strangely, it smelled like cologne. The same warm musk that Xemnas gave off. “But I didn’t get you anything!”

“Your presence is a gift in itself.”

_Ah. Smooth as usual._ For someone who claimed to have never felt the need for emotions in the past, he sure knew how to promote bashfulness in her. “Oh! Why don’t you stay here tonight?” When he gave her a doubtful look, she pressed on. “A part of you must miss them, right? Even a tiny bit?”

He had a wistful expression on his face and she held his hand tightly. “I don’t want you going back to those lonely apartments, surely it’d be better for you to stay here right? With your friends?” 

“Friends?”

“And I’ll be here too of course.”

“Hmph,” he caressed her face. “Perhaps you could convince me to stay.”

She grinned. “It won’t be you that needs persuasion, I’ll have to convince them. But I’m sure it won’t be difficult.”

*******

“Absolutely not.” 

Lady gritted her teeth together. “Why not?! There’s way too many rooms in this castle anyways!” Her eyes made contact with the lord presiding over this castle as well as the surrounding lands. Ansem the Wise. Not to be mistaken for the other that looked like Xemnas. Why they didn’t choose another name upon their creation, she wouldn’t know. Maybe she would get a chance to ask one day. Regardless, she had dealings with this man before and it was always none too pleasant; when she saw him last, he was wrapped in bandages that concealed the entirety of his face. She never guessed whether it was out of shame or fear that he did that. But now he stood in front of her, looking more human than ever with long blond hair swept back to reveal a face worn with age. 

A red scarf was wrapped around his neck that stood out against his lab coat. His hands were wrapped behind his back and his bright orange eyes looked at her sternly before panning upwards to Xemnas. 

“He is not worthy to stay in this city of light,” he said that with a calm tone but she sensed a dull anger just below that. This situation was weird. Lady felt like she was trying to convince her dad to let her boyfriend stay the night. 

“Worthy?” she scoffed. “It’s not like he doesn’t have a heart, he has one now!”

“Yes, given to you after it was tainted by Jenova’s cells. It could have tainted the heart before you so generously distributed it amongst them.” 

This took her aback. She hadn’t thought about that. She glanced back at Xemnas wearily before holding her chin up high when she faced the lord of the castle. “If that’s the case, weigh his worth in with mine. He’s here to help, I promise you!” 

Ansem raised his eyebrow. “Worth?”

“Yes,” she said. “The Lucian Kings found me worthy, so much in fact they let me use their power. So I’m asking, _nicely_ , for you to reconsider.”

The old scientist and her locked eyes, battling in silence before he finally dropped the subject. “Fine,” he then turned to Xemnas. “If I see Xehanort’s influence take hold of you, it won’t be long before you find yourself isolated once more.”

Xemnas remained calm. “Of course.”

*******

Lady looked out the window at the town shrouded in night. She tapped her finger against her other hand to serve as a palindrome to count the seconds that flew by. _One, two, one, two._ When she heard sheets rustling behind her, she turned to see Xemnas climb into bed and she ran to sit beside him as he lay down. 

“See? It’s nicer here than the old castle right?” she asked him and down the hall, they heard the loud strumming of a guitar followed by a zap then a crash. 

_“What’s your problem?!”_

_“You! You’re my problem!”_

A door swung open down the hall. _“For the love of the gods, shut the hell up!”_

_“My goodness, the profanity in this place.”_

Lady looked at Xemnas nervously but was relieved to see that his eyes were closed with his chest rising up and down slowly. Leaning over him, she planted a kiss on his forehead. “Goodnight,” she whispered and got up to exit the room. 

*******

Vanitas blinked and stretched, groaning when his back didn’t seem to want to move properly the way he wanted it to. Cracking his neck, he looked around his current room and let out an annoyed sigh. It was barren for the most part, save for a bed and a single table. He frowned when he saw something placed on the table and got up to investigate. 

What he saw was a plate of food; specifically a sandwich with a piece of cake to the side wrapped up carefully. Beside the plate was a note on a pink card, written in delicate handwriting were the words: ‘Don’t forget to eat up -Lady’ 


	11. XI

Lady handed Aeleus and Dilan box lunches with a shy smile. “You guys always guard the castle, so I wanted to make a little something to say thank you!”

“Our thanks,” Dilan took the box that was wrapped in a large handkerchief. “Lady, may I ask something?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you and Xemnas by any chance..” he and Aeleus shared a look before turning back to her. “Seeing each other?” They enunciated the word ‘seeing’ and shared another look before doing so. A blush creeped up on her face and she vehemently shook her head. 

“Oh no, I’m just.. teaching him I suppose,” she scratched her cheek with a finger and cleared her throat. “Anyways! I’m off!”

“Where are you going?” Aeleus asked, he looked rather funny as he was a tall and imposing man holding such a tiny pink box of lunch. They both did actually and she grinned at the sight. 

“To town, I’ll be back!” she waved to them and ran down the steps towards Radiant Garden. When she was out of sight, she slowed down and her smile disappeared. The whole morning she felt like she was being watched and it unnerved her greatly. But for some reason still, those eyes watching her didn’t seem to have malicious intent. Rather, she felt protected in a way. Like it was her own personal guardian angel. 

Finding a nice quiet place to sit down, she unfolded her own lunch box and took out a sandwich to munch on. Looking overhead, she tapped her toes against the cobblestone as birds flew overhead and casted shadows onto her lap before disappearing off into the horizon. It felt warm today and she couldn’t help thinking about Xemnas and Vanitas; how were those two adjusting? She told everyone to try their best to cooperate with them since there was no need to be rude, but of course they took the necessary precautions to watch Vanitas more since Xemnas proved to be no threat. 

When she took the last bite out of her sandwich, she felt an unusual cold breeze travel up her arm and into the sleeves of her shirt. She looked down and saw goosebumps form where the cold air kissed her and she frowned. The weather forecasts today never mentioned any form of cold front coming in, so why the hell was she feeling that?

Suddenly, the feeling of being watched became even more extreme and she looked around the empty courtyard to see just what was causing it. It was then that she saw a woman in black, not her mother- it was someone else. With pitch black hair and pale skin that was as fair as the first blanket of snow in winter. She was approaching Lady and she didn’t know whether to get up and leave or stay and wait. Whoever she was, she didn’t seem to be someone who wished to do her harm. 

“Her greetings to the lady,” the woman bowed, her berry-stained lips spoke with such a strange accent. Out of the places Lady’s explored, she’d never heard it before. “Daughter of Onna. She has come to bring you a message.”

“Who are you?”

“Gentiana, a Messenger,” she then handed Lady a black envelope with a golden butterfly sealing it at the seam. Lady quickly opened it and on the parchment was her mother’s distinct script. It read: 

_‘My little flower,_

_Apologies for leaving so abruptly without telling you. I had some business to attend to that required my immediate attention. Should this letter find you at an opportune time, you must look to the plains near Gralea. There you will find what remains of the Glacian. See to it that you go where she rests posthaste._

_I promise I’ll be with you soon.’_

Lady set the letter down with a huff. Closing her eyes and processing what she had just read in her mind. _The Glacian? She wants me to see Shiva’s dead body?_ Opening her eyes, she saw Gentiana watching her carefully. Setting the letter to the side, she picked up her lunchbox and held it up towards her. “You hungry?”

The Messenger seemed amused by this and smiled. “She is kind, but the Messenger cannot accept.”

“Thanks for bringing my mom’s letter. Um.. I guess I should leave now, huh?” 

“It is urgent that she goes. But she must be well-prepared.”

_Uh-oh. That sounds foreboding._ She gasped when Gentiana took her hands in hers. It felt cold. _Cold as ice._ Trying not to shiver in front of her, she nodded as the Messenger opened her eyes to reveal beautiful green irises rimmed by thick, dark lashes. 

Her smile was sympathetic.. forlorn even- but Lady didn’t know why she was looking at her like that. “The Messenger is sorry,” Gentiana murmured, “for the pain the gods have caused her lady’s family.”

“My family..?” Lady blinked. As far as she knew, she was the only one who was affected by the gods. Did that mean her mother and father were affected by them too in some way? When Gentiana let go of her hand, she got up. “Wait! What did you mean by that?” 

A strong gust of biting wind blew and Lady covered her face and shut her eyes tight. When she opened them again, Gentiana was gone and left her alone once more in the courtyard. She plopped down on the bench and groaned, “The hell… What’s going on?” 

Reaching over for the letter, she tried to tell her to relax when a hand suddenly clamped down on her shoulder, making her let out a surprised yelp. 

“Heya!” Lea’s face appeared next to her with an excited grin as she batted him away. 

“Don’t scare me like that!” she hissed, trying to move the letter away before he could see it. 

“Hoho, what’s this now?” he snatched the letter from her hand. “A letter from who?”

Lady reached over towards him but he held the letter up higher to where she couldn’t reach, not even on her tippy-toes. “Hey, give that back!” He held it away even further, stretching his arm out all the way to the side so that she had to lean close to his face to grasp at the paper’s corners. 

“Sure you can have it back,” Lea had a smug smile on his face. “If you wear that maid outfit for me.”

She made a face. “Ugh, you’re just a pervert like Xiggy. I knew it.”

“ _You’re_ the one that’s traipsing around wearing cat ears with a short skirt! Did you really think no one would look at you with that on?” 

“I dunno, were you checking me out?”

“Maybe I was, maybe I wasn’t.”

“Something tells me it’s the former,” she frowned. “Lea, please.”

“Fiiine, here.” He set the letter down in her lap and craned his head to get a better look at her face. “You seem down, what’s up?”

“It’s nothing. Just got a lot on my mind, y’know?”

“Hmm, I see. Wanna know what I think will make it better?”

She feigned a look of anticipation as he finished his sentence, even though she had a very good idea of what he would say next.

“Some ice crea-”

There it was. “ _NO_.”

He looked taken aback at her answer and pouted. “Geez, you’ve been so mean lately. First you don’t even say hi to me and now you don’t wanna get ice cream? It hurts-” he patted on his chest where his heart was, “-right here. I think it’s gonna break.”

“Pfft,” she laughed aloud. “If it does, I’ll just give you a new one again.” When she looked at Lea’s face she noticed something that she should’ve noticed before. His inverted tears. They were gone. Reaching forward to grasp his face with her hands, she ran her thumb over where they used to be. “Your tears are gone,” she murmured absentmindedly. 

“Happened when I turned back to a human,” he let out a half-hearted laugh. “They were supposed to help with my crybaby ass.. But it didn’t do much good the day I got my heart back. Cried a lot more than I ever did in both of my lives.”

“Sorry,” it was all she could say. Yet all of her empathy was tossed into that single word because the guilt still weighed her down heavily. But she had to remind herself it wasn’t her fault. _It was Bahamut._ She clenched her fists. The thought still persevered in her mind regardless of any assurances: _what would have happened if I had done things differently? What would happen if I never left home?_

“Helloooo, is Lady home?” Lea made a mocking movement of knocking on her head without actually touching it and she snapped back to reality. 

“Yeah, hey, how’s it going?” she said and he made a confused face. 

“You were spacing out for a sec,” he leaned in close and put a hand on her shoulder. “Look, it’s fine. It’s all in the past. We’re here now right? We’re good! So there’s no need to be sad.” He flicked her chin upwards, “So smile, it’ll be alright.” He then put a finger on the side of his forehead, “Got it memorized?”

Lady chuckled at his catchphrase he’d used long ago, even when he was still a Nobody. “Yeah,” she mimicked his pose, “I got it memorized.” 

He winked at her before spotting the lunchbox she had behind her. “Hey I’m kinda hungry, can I have one?” he pointed to the leftover sandwich in her box. 

“Huh? No way! Get your own!” she then pushed him back when he tried pushing forward to get to her food. Given his tall and slim frame, there was a source of strength underneath it and she puffed up her cheeks when she shoved him back. His green eyes glinted with mischief and he took her hand, pushing her down on the stone bench with her hand near her head. 

She seemed surprised at first then her lips lowered into a smirk matching his own. “In public? Here? Sly dog.”

“You wouldn’t care if anyone did see us, right?” his voice got lower and edged with darkness. 

“Alright,” she patted his arm, “you’ve had your fun.” She waited for him to move but when he didn’t she raised a brow. “Lea, you’re acting weird.”

“So the old man can hit on you but I can’t?” he mused. 

She scoffed. “Xigbar hits on anyone. You realize it’s in his nature to mess with people right?”

“Yeah, but he doesn’t just ‘hit on anyone’,” when Lea saw the look of disbelief on her face, he aimed to back up his claim with evidence. “Remember, I knew him longer than you.”

Biting down on her bottom lip, she realized the proximity of their faces. His nose brushed against the tip of hers and she looked deep into his deep emerald green eyes. “Believe me now?” he asked her. Swallowing her answer, she opted for a quick nod of her head that made the back of her hair graze against the stone bench. 

“Lea!” 

They both turned to see Isa approach them. Lea let out a disappointed sigh and pushed himself up, helping Lady get up too once he sat up straight. 

“There you are, what were you doing?” Isa’s face was stern but softened slightly when Lady poked her head out from behind Lea’s back. “Oh, Lady. How are you?”

“I’m fine,” she smiled then got up, taking her lunchbox with her as she approached Isa. “Want a sandwich?” 

Isa carefully extracted the sandwich from the box. “Looks delicious,” he said before taking a bite. “Tastes delicious, actually.”

“I’m glad you like it!” she grinned. 

“Did you give some to Aeleus and Dilan too?”

“Yep!”

“What?” Lea cried, seemingly back to his jovial self. “You gave them some, but not me? Can I at least have a bite?” 

Isa locked eyes with Lea as he finished off the rest of the sandwich in one go and swallowed promptly. “Sorry, what did you say?”

Lea clicked his tongue. “Asshole.”

Lady packed up her lunchbox and stuffed the letter in her pocket. “I just remembered I have somewhere to go. I need to head back.”

“Let me escort you,” Isa held out an arm and she graciously took it. 

“H-hey, I can do that!” Lea protested. 

“My guard shift just ended,” Isa said with cold eyes and an unfeeling tone. “Yours just started.”

“Oh gods, I totally forgot we traded shifts,” the redhead groaned and adjusted the band on his upper arm. “Fine, You two run off now while I go do some work.” He walked away with his arms behind his head after giving them a lazy wave. 

“Now, shall we?” Isa tugged her along the road to the castle and she followed, casually glancing up at him whenever she could take the opportunity. When he felt her eyes on him, he peeped back. “Is there something on my face?” 

“No no, it’s just,” her bottom lip moved up in a pout. “Your eyes, they changed too huh?” His eyes were a soft green, a great change from the harsh glare of his previous orange-gold irises. Though his x-shaped scar was still present between his brow and she wanted to ask just where he got that from. Xigbar retained his scar too, so if they had were scarred in a previous life- it would stick with them for as long as they lived? _That’s horrible._

Looking down at her own skin, she didn’t have any notable scars. Not even any from before she was resurrected. She should count herself lucky she didn’t have any such physical reminders. 

“Yes,” he still spoke in that calm manner he used to when he was a Nobody, but there was no malicious intent hidden underneath it this time. He seemed legitimately relaxed. “When I became human again,” his green eyes washed over her, “I’m thankful for your sacrifice.”

“Oh please,” she became bashful under his praise. “Anyone would’ve done the same.”

“I doubt that.” The rest of their walk was seated in comfortable silence. 

“Isa?”

“Hm?”

“Do you feel uncomfortable.. with Xemnas here?”

“I don’t particularly trust the man,” he responded honestly much to her surprise. “But if anyone could change him,” his eyes returned to her, “it would be you.” The constant praise made her blush, but he didn’t stop there. “Fortunately, it seems you already have.”

“You really think so?” 

“Have you not seen the state of those in the previous Organization? They’re different now. Because of you.”

“Thanks Isa,” she murmured softly. When they reached the steps leading back to the castle, she let go of his arm and turned on her heels to give him a playful wink. “I appreciate you walking me back. Should I repay you with another sandwich?”

He placed a hand over his heart. “It’d be an honor.” 

“I should probably make Lea one too since I feel bad.”

“Don’t bother, I would eat his anyway.” 

“You’re terrible,” she said with a laugh. Waving a short goodbye to him, she bounded up the stairs as Isa watched and waited for her to disappear into the castle. Only when she was safely inside did he turn away. 

*******

Vanitas looked up as Lady entered his room. He first gave her a disinterested glare but soon got up when he realized he wasn’t deterring her at all. “What do you want, toy?” he said with a wry look. 

“I’m just checking up on you,” she walked closer to the dividing bars that blocked him off from the door. Sealing him in the room with remnants of Elrena’s magic still humming in the air. She created bars that nulled his magic and gave off yellow lights at times, her signature color. 

“Hmph,” he had his head resting on his palm with his body on its side. “Didn’t come to gloat?”

“Had I known it was that easy to knock you out, I would’ve done it sooner,” her eyes fell upon the empty plate she left him last night, cleaned off of any scraps. “Did you like your food at least?”

Vanitas clicked his tongue. “It was alright.” When she turned on her heels to walk out, he added, “First time anyone’s made a meal for me. So.. I guess.”

Finally. Vindication. “I’m glad.” His words made her think and so she asked him, “You don’t have any family?”

“Why do you care?”

“I was just asking. Stop being such a dick.”

His golden eyes went dull. “Probably, two. This little twerp named Ven is my brother and the old man.. guess he’s as close as it gets to having a dad. But he’s pretty shit at it.” 

Lady looked all around his room. Nothing misplaced since they placed him there, the only things that moved were his bedsheets and the plates she left him on the table. He didn’t even bother getting out. In fact he just looked _bored_ . Was he waiting on someone to break him out? Or.. _maybe he just doesn’t really care._ She thought back to Xigbar’s words. _“It’s not like you care much about the old man anyways, right?”_

“Just wish I wasn’t constantly sleeping next to a fly zapper,” he pointed a lazy finger at the bars. “It kinda puts a damper on my beauty sleep.”

“They’re not electrocuted,” she reassured him. “Just made to look that way, see?” To demonstrate, she stepped backwards until her back was pressed against the cage. It didn’t hum or fizzle, it just felt like solid mana underneath her fingertips. “Not bad right, Van-?”

Like a shadow creeping from the corner of the room, Vanitas was already behind her with his arms grasping the bars freely, now knowing that it wouldn’t have a consequence. “Well well,” he said with a bemused purr, “don’t think you should've told me that.” His hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer to him, so close that she could feel the warmth coming from his body. One of his hands moved to hold the front of her neck, not squeezing but simply placing it there. 

She remained calm. “Gonna give me some sort of payback?” 

“Nope,” he laughed, pulling her further back against the bars. “Can’t I just hold you like this?”

“Do you want a hug or something?” 

“Sure, if you’re giving them out for free,” he let go of her waist and she turned around, surprised to see him obediently waiting with a challenging sneer on his face. It was her turn to surprise him as her hands slipped through the bars and gently wrapped around his neck and back. She was gentle with him as though he would break if she did it any tighter. Even when he didn’t hug her back, she stroked the back of his hair; fingers running through his spiky black hair and smiled to herself when it felt soft under her touch. 

“Behave yourself okay, Van?” she said to him before dropping her arms and turning to exit the room. When the door shut, Vanitas leaned against the bars, holding his breath as if what he had just experienced shook him to his core. It was so gentle, yet so extreme. And he didn’t know how to handle it. 

*******

“Xemnas!”

“Yes?” he looked up from his sofa chair, a book held in his hand while his other cradled his head. Golden eyes went up and down her body, noting the outfit that meant she was going somewhere. 

“Where are you going?” Xemnas asked her as she adjusted her sweater around her shoulders. 

“I’m not sure,” she admitted. Her mother’s letter was the only thing to go off on, but even then it still wasn’t much. “I don’t think I’ve really been there before. But I should be back by tonight if things go well. I just wanted to check up on you,” she said with a small wave.

Before she could exit his room, a hand pushed against the door to keep it close and turned her around so that she faced him. Firmly pressed against wood, Lady held in a breath when she realized how close he was. “Be careful,” he said it with such sincerity that it made her heart flutter. “If anything were to happen to you again,” his lips found the outline of her jaw. “I think my heart would break.”

His hands slid over hers, intertwining their fingers as his knee separated her legs. A warm trail was left behind by his tongue as he left chaste kisses that soon turned into sweet suckling as his mouth ravished the skin on her neck. She squirmed as he hit down, then immediately apologized as he gave it a tentative flick of his tongue. 

“Xemnas,” she panted, wrapping her hands around his neck as he lifted her left leg up to hoist around his waist. She pulled her head back away from him to look him in the eyes. “Kiss me,” she said in an almost breathless whisper. 

“With pleasure,” he murmured before his mouth came onto hers. Their tongues swirled around each other and each time his teeth grazed her lip, she let out a small gasp. His hands grasped her gently at first but the slowly got firmer as he squeezed her ass through the fitted pants that she wore. He was so gentle with her, as opposed to the man she saw yesterday that made Vanitas look upon him with fear. 

Instead, the man groping her and squeezing her in places so intimate showed her unconditional love. Someone that wanted her for her only, it didn’t matter what she had or what she lacked. Tears formed at the corner of her eyes. _It didn’t matter if I had Jenova’s cells._

When Xemnas felt her tears, he stopped and pulled away. Resting his forehead on hers, he looked concerned. “Is something the matter?”

“No,” she smiled as he wiped under her eyes. “I’m just really happy.”

“Does happiness really warrant tears such as this?”

“I told you before. Sometimes,” she laughed. “This is just one of those times.”

“Then I’ll accept it,” his lips found hers again and he gave her thighs a generous squeeze, his frustration was made known when his hands couldn’t directly feel her skin- rather the fabric sitting on top. He was tempted to rip it off. When she felt his frustration, it was a sign for her to stop him. 

Prying her hands off of him with much regret, she leaned forward to kiss him on the tip of his nose. “I have to go. It’s a long trip and I need all the daylight I can get.” A resigned look on his face was his way of telling her that he understood, though he hated the idea of it. 

“I know, here-“ she slipped out of his arms and walked over to an empty glass that was undoubtedly his, “-take care of this while I’m gone.” Fishing for something in her bag, she took out the flower he gave her yesterday and placed it inside. It’s white petals showed no signs of degradation and it’s black stem still shone with brilliant polish. He designed it to last for a long time so that it wouldn’t wilt so easily on her. 

“I was gonna take it with me, but I think it’s safer with you here.” Walking over to him, she cradled his cheek in her hand. “Don’t make that face, I’ll be quick.” Standing on her tiptoes, she planted another chaste kiss on his lips before exiting his room. 

Though, only a few steps down the hall she heard her name being called. Turning around, she saw Roxas approach her. His eyes gave the door she emerged out of a side-eye before returning to her. 

“Hey,” his face was serious. “Can we talk?”

“Now’s not a good time,” she offered an apologetic look. 

“When is that gonna be? I need to talk to you.” 

She threw her hands up in the air, “I’m not sure Rox, whenever I get back.” 

“You’re going somewhere?” 

“Yeah, I’ll be back though.” _I’ve been delayed enough_. “I really need to go, sorry.” 

When she walked away, Roxas was left standing there- a cross look on his face as he muttered to himself when she was out of earshot. “You used to tell me everything.. what happened?” 

**Near the plains of Gralea, 6:21 pm...**

Biting winds whipped across her bare arms as frost covered the tips of her fingers and coated her hair and lashes. The cold seemed to pierce right through her skin and entered her bloodstream; filling it with sharpened icicles that poked and prodded as it traveled around her. Her wings flapped harder but it was no use, ice weighed down her feathers and made her exert more stamina just to keep her up. 

_Shit!_ Her jacket was wrapped around her waist as she had to take it off so that her wings could expand without hindrance, but even that was on the verge of flying off of her. Another harsh wind blew her back a couple meters and she felt the wind knocked out of her lungs this time, feeling it be replaced with uncomfortable frozen air. Through the white flakes she could make out the body of the Glacian only two measly miles away- and yet she couldn’t even reach her. _There’s gotta be another way._

Her eyes trailed down to see a railroad track going through the land and let her wings carry her towards that direction. Maybe a train could take her halfway and she would walk to see the Glacian. It wasn’t the most grand plan, but she had to get there anyways. She wanted to see what this whole thing was about anyways, and why her mother needed her to do this. Shaking off the ice that clung to her wings, she flew down the tracks to look for the train station. 

**Tenebrae, 6:56 pm**

Crowds gathered around the train station that moved when Ravus walked through. It wasn’t out of fear, more so for respect. No one dared get in his way as prince of Tenebrae, but it wasn’t as if he flaunted the title. He couldn’t care much for it. 

The sun had already set beyond the peaks of his home as night overtook the sky. It was getting late and he would have a long day’s work ahead of him once he reached his destination. He regretted not being able to take most of that work home, nor lack the will to stray from it. Whatever it was, it was his duty, and he had to see it done. 

Before Ravus could step onto the train platform, he felt someone bump into him from behind followed up by a gasp and a ‘I’m sorry!’ 

“Hey, watch where you’re going girl! You bumped into our prince!”

“I’m sorry! I got pushed!” 

“No excuses girl, apologize immediately!”

When Ravus turned around, his eyes scrutinized the woman before him and she did the same. They locked gazes. It was the same woman who had crashed into their gardens weeks ago, the one who disappeared during their care. Whatever fortune or fate or whim of the gods had made them cross paths again and it struck him as odd. _What was she doing back here?_

Bowing her head, she spoke. “My apologies, Your Highness.”

Ravus held his hand up, “There’s no need for that.” He then turned to the one who made her apologize in the first place, “I’ll take it from here.”

“Of course, prince Ravus.”

When he was gone, she tilted her head at him and smiled. “It’s good seeing you again Ravus, I haven’t had the chance to properly thank you for taking care of me.”

“I never caught your name,” he said to her. 

“Call me Lady,” she said with another small dip of her head. “Sorry for troubling you again, I should get going.”

“Wait,” he stopped her and she raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Are you boarding?”

“I was trying to,” she admitted. “I don’t think there’s any seats left in the economy section. I suppose I’ll have to wait.”

“I’m afraid this is the last train scheduled for departure, dearest.”

Ravus watched as Lady’s body went rigid and her eyes glazed over. He then looked to the owner of the voice and was irritated at the fact that he still had that hat on despite the darkening state of the sky. 

“Chancellor Izunia,” Ravus greeted him with his formal title, he would at least _try_ to give the man some respect. But there was always something about him that warranted caution. 

“Commander Ravus,” Ardyn tipped his hat to him then turned his amber eyes to Lady. “Do you need assistance finding a seat on this train, my dear?”

“No,” she bit back her sarcastic tone with a sickly sweet smile. “I think I’ll wait.”

“And risk waiting till tomorrow for the next? My, that’s a terrible idea. You, waiting all by your lonesome? Something might happen if you stall any longer.” 

Her nostrils flared in irritation. That sounded like a threat. She gave Ravus a weary glance then turned back to Ardyn. “The only seats left are in first class and I, unfortunately, do not have the funds.”

“Why worry when I can take you under my wing?” he said with an earnest grin. “All fees will be taken care of.”

“So generous,” she muttered. “But I rather not be indebted to you, Chancellor.”

“Oh, but I insist,” he looked at Ravus. “Don’t you agree? Perhaps we should help the poor girl since she so desperately needs it.”

Lady inhaled deeply, weighing her options with the conflict written clear on her face; before she could turn away completely, Ravus’ words changed her mind. “Will my train car suffice for your trip?”

“Of course,” Ardyn answered for her then smiled at Lady. “Poor thing, you look a little underdressed. I do believe you’ll be quite _cold_ later on.”

*******

Lady sat across from Ravus with both of their seats next to the large window that displayed the scenery as the train chugged on past. He resorted to reading a newspaper, his heterochromatic eyes scanning the black ink with news from around the world as well as locally. She opted to twiddle with her thumbs, occasionally tossing a glance to the prince in white as well as humming a small tune that warranted glances from him which made her bite her tongue and curse internally.

At least Ardyn sat in another car. She wouldn’t know how to handle him sitting within such close proximity to her. Would she be glaring daggers at him? Making small talk? It’s hard to imagine talking about inclement weather with the man she was once tortured by, but, _he did help me somewhat- what am I saying?_ She shut her eyes and shook her head. _Get yourself together. You should be careful around Ardyn at all times!_

“Is something the matter?” Ravus asked, having seen her inner dialogue made visible with the way her brows kept furrowing together. 

“Nothing, I’m just thinking,” she squeezed her thumbs. “Thank you for letting me ride with you.”

He gave a disinterested hum and gave his attention back to the newspaper. When it was silent, he glanced up to see that her head was down with her eyes trained on her boots. Upon closer inspection, he realized that she had snowflakes on her lashes still as well as some covering her jacket and clothes as if she was trudging through the snow prior to boarding. After seconds passed, she was still shivering though the car was at room temperature. “Are you alright?” he asked her again.”

Her head immediately snapped up and gave him her rehearsed response. “I’m fine.”

Folding up the newspaper, he decided it was more engaging to talk with his fellow passenger. “Your name, it’s rather odd.”

“Because it’s a nickname,” she chuckled. 

“What’s wrong with the one your parents gave you?” He saw her knuckles tighten after asking that question and even saw the way she forced a smile. 

“I don’t like being reminded of home as much,” she had a smile on her face but her eyes held a dull sorrow. 

Ravus saw that she was uncomfortable with his line of questioning, so he neglected to push further. “If this makes you feel unease..”

“No, no, it’s fine,” she assured him. “Maybe it’s good to get it off my chest. And what’s more therapeutic than spilling your secrets to a complete stranger? There’s no strings attached.” She said it with such conviction; like she was confident that she would never see Ravus again after. “My father-” she took a deep breath, “-always cared for me because my mother was constantly away. She was never home much but I was told that was only the case because of some important business for the Spiran government. Specifically for the temple having to do with the worship of the Draconian.”

This piqued Ravus’ interest. Spira was a holy land and so far away. He had only heard stories of it either through reports, official meetings, or even through his sister Luna. The ones who lived there practiced the art of summoning, if they were so lucky to gain that power after rigorous training. They could call upon aeons, or relics of the gods’ power that were lended to them for a short time to aid in battle. He also heard of a ritual in Spira that allowed one to obtain enough power to match a god but the price to pay for that privilege was far too steep, for it cost one's life. 

“He would do his best to take care of me, now that I look back on it, it was some of my happiest days,” she then laughed. “But I’ll admit I was rather bored of the same mundane things we did over and over again. Like making sure our gardens were watered or picking the fruits before they rotted completely and making sure the house was always clean.”

Her joyful look changed to one of melancholy. “Then one day, he and I were taking a walk to town. I remember he was going to show me the chocobos.” 

_“Dad, are they as big as you say they are? Like huuuge?” a small girl waved her arms in the air to mimic the size of the large avian, the moogle doll in her arm swung violently when she did so._

_“Yes, fluffy too,” the man laughed loudly, taking her hand while his other stretched behind his head as if they were feathers. “Like this!”_

_“No way, I wanna pet one so bad!”_

“It was sunny that day, like the sky promised us that nothing bad would happen,” Lady chuckled ruefully, her face darkening. “Then, my dad sensed something was wrong.”

_The man stopped and his daughter looked up at him with large eyes. “Daddy, what’s wrong?”_

_His eyes searched the horizon then squinted when he saw something moving amongst the trees. He then turned to her, kneeling down and grabbing her shoulders, “Sweetie, I need you to do what we’ve been practicing okay? Do you remember?”_

_She nodded then whispered, “To stay quiet and not make a noise?”_

_“Good girl, follow me and don’t look behind you. Do it for me, okay sweetheart?”_

_“But-” her sentence was cut short as her dad pulled her along, making her run at speeds that couldn’t be possible for a child like her. Tripping over a rock, she dropped her moogle doll and scrambled to grab it._

_“Just leave it!” he barked at her and she flinched. He never yelled at her like that unless it was severe. And so she left Mr. Mog behind._

“We ran until we found our old cellar, it was just some place we used to store and preserve the fruits,” she told Ravus. “He opened the hatch and told me to climb in, told me to be quiet.”

_“Daddy?” she whimpered. “I’m scared, what’s happening?”_

_“Everything’s gonna be alright sweetheart, just do what we’ve practiced okay?” he held a finger to his lips and she nodded, forcing herself to be silent so as to not let her frantic cries out. With a nervous look tossed behind his shoulder, he reached forward and gave his daughter a kiss on her forehead. “I love you so much, always remember that okay? Always know that you’re the most precious thing to me and that-”_

_A loud snap was heard in the distance that sounded like a tree falling and she saw him look behind him again and when he faced her, he looked even more distraught. “I love you so much,” he whispered again before shutting the cellar doors, trapping his daughter in darkness._

“I stayed in that dusty old place for so long that my legs went numb. I was so scared, I remember hearing roars of flames that drowned out any noise I made- but even then I did my best to keep quiet,” she was looking at her feet the entire time, hoping that Ravus wouldn’t see the way her eyes shimmered with tears. “I stayed there until I couldn’t hear any more noises outside,” she sniffed. “But when I did, it looked like hell.” 

_The girl pushed the cellar doors open with a large huff. Crawling out and flinching when her hands made contact with the hot ground. Standing up, she saw that her family gardens and land were scorched and thoroughly razed. Everything was black, brown, or gray with ash. The only thing that stood out to her was a bright trail of red._

“Children are naturally curious,” she explained. “So ‘naturally’ I followed it.”

_She slowly saw more of the bright crimson red spilled onto the burnt grass and even saw her stuffed moogle which was now burnt to a brown clump, identifiable only by its pom-pom which used to be bright red. Her wooden sandals that crunched the dirt and grass beneath her feet soon made contact with something slushy as the earth beneath became wet with that red liquid she saw earlier._

_It was the same red liquid that came out of her when she accidentally scraped her knee once. But why was there so much here?_

“Then I saw him,” she swallowed hard. “What remained of him at least”

_Propped up against a wisteria tree was her dad. Large slashes, scrapes, contusions, and burn marks covered him; his face was swollen badly and bleeding to the point where it was unrecognizable just like her doll._

_She stopped walking. The trail of red ended where he sat lying against the tree._

_“Daddy..?” she stepped forward timidly. Inching forward ever so slightly until she reached him. “Dad? Wake up..” she shook his shoulder and watched as his head flopped until he became still once more. “Daddy?” tears streamed down her small face, “dad, we were supposed to see the big birds today!”_

_When the girl realized that he wasn’t waking up, she began bawling and clinging onto what was left of the hollow shell that was once her father._

_“Dad! Don’t leave- don’t leave me alone!!”_

“Monsters, I’m assuming,” she crossed her arms. “The way he was cut up.. it was so inhumane.”

“Then why go through the trouble of tucking you away in a cellar?” Ravus asked. “If they were monsters, surely they would’ve been able to sense your hiding spot almost immediately.” 

His words gave her pause, because they rang true. She pulled her eyebrows together in a thoughtful knot, he was right. There was something missing.

An unexpected lurch of the train tossed her forward as Ravus moved to catch her, securing his arms around hers. They both looked at each other, thoroughly confused, then looked at the window. It was now covered in a fine layer of frost, snowflakes danced across the surface and spread like spiderwebs. Ravus frowned, had the train stopped so suddenly because of weather conditions?

Lady sighed, a stroke of luck was given to her as she had reached her destination. “I’m sorry,” she apologized to him yet again as she pulled back from his arms. “I have to go.”

“Here?” he seemed confused. What used to be deserted plains were now a frozen wasteland. No one would survive long out here. “There won’t be civilizations for miles around here.”

“I know,” she said before getting up and exiting the cabin. Before she did, she turned and gave the prince a genuine smile. “Thank you for listening to me. It really did feel good to get that off my chest.” Waving one last goodbye at him, she moved down the train by people who stood from their seats, curious as to why their ride stopped so abruptly. 

Lady was grateful for whatever force stopped it, since she didn’t enjoy the idea of hurdling out of a moving train into the cold winds. When she crossed over one of the gangway bellows, she reached for the door and found it locked. Cursing, she backed up against the wall, positioned her foot close to the lock and began jamming it. Thanks to the noises of the concerned passengers, none of them noticed her pounding away at the doors. When it gave way under her weight, she quickly opened it and slipped out. Immediately, she was violated with harsh winds that pushed her back against the metal train. It took the average human 5-10 minutes to die under hypothermic conditions. 

She gave herself about 20 minutes. 

Her breaths left her in white clouds and she felt the warmth from the train quickly fade, melting from her skin and exposing her to the elements. Using her arms to block the ice from hitting her face, she pushed forward and began trudging through the snow. Though she still had a long ways away, she was still closer than her attempt from earlier. Snow piled up high to her knees stopped any attempts besides walking and so she spitefully took her time to reach her destination even as the winds worked against her and pushed her down the natural slope of the plains. 

She trembled and shivered, wrapping her jacket that all of a sudden was too thin for her when she thought it decent enough for this journey. Boy was she wrong. Her teeth chattered like chimes made from bones and she squinted as to not let ice hit her directly in her eyes. Even when she couldn’t see her hands, she could feel the frost begin to coat them generously. 

_This better be worth it,_ she thought to herself as she lifted her knees above the snow. Up and down, up and down, repeating this motion until she saw the outline of the Glacian become clearer through the blaze. “O Sh-shiva, M-mother of I-ice,” she chattered through the cold, trying to keep her tone steady to recite the prayer to the Astral that her mother taught her long ago. “O Fr-ostbearer, lend.. me your s-strength.”

A similar trial was held on Besaid. Dipped in freezing temperatures, one would have to find their way through a temple to prove their worth and resolve to obtain the power to summon Shiva. Of course, very few survived this trial. If she didn’t know any better, she would assume her mother made her do this so that she could summon Shiva. But no way the temperatures in the temples back home could be this bad, this felt way worse. 

Shiva’s body was posed with her laying down on her stomach with her lower legs buried beneath the deep valley. Her upper body was held up as she was on her elbows with one of her hands poised as if she was about to caress a lover’s face. What remained of the ice giantess’ own expression looked to be peaceful, despite meeting her demise. 

Once she stood right below the Glacian’s corpse, she got on her knees and bowed her head in reverence. Muttering the prayers she’d learn as a child over and over again even as the wind constantly knocked her back.

“Damn it,” she cried, facing the giantess. “What do you want from me?!” Then, from beyond the flying white breeze, a figure in black appeared. She made out the shape of a woman with silky black hair, her gait unbothered by the overwhelming snow. When she came closer, Lady was confused. “Gentiana?” she said loudly so that the Messenger could hear her. “What are you doing here?”

“She has come far to receive her blessing,” Gentiana approached her. “She has won the Glacian’s favor. Let it be done now as was promised to her mother.” 

_Promised to my mother?_ “What?”

Standing directly in front of her, the grand clothes that Gentiana wore melted off of her. Turning into white and blue shards of ice that evaporated and mixed in with the snow around her. Lady held up a hand to shield her eyes when her skin glowed bright and filled her sight with pure white. Squinting through it, she gasped when the light disappeared and so did Gentiana. 

Instead, there stood the Glacian herself. Shiva. 

Pale blue skin outlined with coverings of lace-like frost that covered only the most intimate parts of her body, leaving little to the imagination. Her long silver hair was done up in an elaborate braid that twisted down her back with icicle-like protrusions coming forth from her head at the top. A choker made of the purest silver and whitest diamonds hung from her neck that gave way to sleeves of frost that flowed behind her in strips. Light purple eyes looked down upon the human in front of her with warm compassion as she hovered just above the ground. 

Lady was awe-struck at her beauty, only having seen Shiva portrayed in paintings that certainly didn’t do her justice. But now she was in front of her, and Lady didn’t quite know what to do next. “Shiva,” she bowed her head. 

“She will bestow upon you the Mark of the Glacian,” Shiva reached down to take Lady’s face in her hands and she nearly shivered at just how damned cold they were. Bringing her face closer to her, Lady held in her breath as her lips touched hers. When it made contact, the surrounding area seemed to be hotter than the space shared between them as they kissed. 

Mother of Ice indeed, for Lady’s body seemed to be injected with temperatures that shouldn’t be inside a human, _ever_. What she thought was cold earlier couldn’t hold a candle to what she was feeling now. If there was ever a definition for freezing, this would be it. Her lips turned blue under Shiva’s lips, as did her fingers and even her toes. A fine layering of frost covered her eyelashes and coated her hair, marking it white. Her blood ran cold and spiked painfully in her body, leaving a cavern of ice where warm liquid once ran. Shakily, she grabbed at Shiva’s hands that caressed her face while her body shook violently in an attempt to stay warm. 

Soon, her breathing slowed and became the very frost that froze her in the first place. It seemed to echo in her mind as her eyes sealed shut thanks to the ice that glued them together. She felt Shiva let go of her face and their lips come apart; then she felt her laying her down onto the ground with the soft snow serving as a source of comfort. 

“Sleep,” the Glacian whispered to her and Lady listened, her breaths coming out as pure white fog. 

*******

Stirring, Lady kept her eyes closed as she felt a great amount of warmth being exuded beside her. Naturally, she snuggled closer and found her cheek touching a shirt with hardened muscle underneath. _Did someone pull me out of the snow?_ Blinking, she first saw darkness as a heavy black coat was wrapped around her yet the torso she was looking at had on a white dress shirt. Slowly panning up, she soon looked into the eyes of none other than Ardyn himself.

“Well, hello there,” he greeted her calmly and she let out an indignant noise as she tried to squirm out of his lap and scrambled across the floor to get away from him, grasping the black coat around her tightly. 

“Wh-what are you-?” she took a moment to let out a cough and looked at her palm in surprise when snow came out onto where she let it out. 

“If you don’t come back,” he gestured to his lap where she’d been sleeping prior, “you might freeze to death, darling.” 

“I-” she looked all around her at the cave they took shelter in and then glanced down at the fire that crackled softly. Near it were a set of clothes that were left to dry. Strangely, they looked like- _oh, shit._ Looking beneath the black coat that was wrapped around her shoulders, she let out a gasp when she realized she was naked. Those were _her_ clothes. “You’ve stripped me naked?” she cried. 

“Would you prefer taking your chances with soggy clothing?” he asked, a bored look on his face. “You know as much as I do that if I had left you out there to battle with the elements, well, your friends would be very disappointed for starters.” 

She made a face and he chuckled. “And there won’t be another god to revive you if you did. Don’t be a fool and come here.”

“Never.” 

“You’ll freeze.”

“I’ll take my chances.” 

She turned around and wrapped the coat around her even tighter. Looking down, she noticed that it was the same one that Ardyn always wore, she peeked behind her to see him tossing another ball of flame into the campfire to keep it going. He was only wearing that white dress under-shirt beneath and it was slightly disheveled with the first few buttons undone to reveal his chest. He looked up just in time to catch her staring and smirked, “Cold, dearest?”

“No,” she remained stubborn until a gust of wind blew from the mouth of the cave and right through her bare legs. She let out a small shriek and ran towards the fire, huddling in front of it with chattering bones. Holding her palms out to the open flame, she only felt warm relief reach her hands yet the rest of her body was left to their own devices. 

Observing her, Ardyn watched as she struggled to hold the coat over her nude self as well as constantly warming it up by the fire. He got her attention with a small whistle and patted on his lap. “Come sit, and I’ll regale you with a tail of how Lucis was founded,” when she gave him a suspicious glare, he continued, “you’ve already been in my lap for hours, my dear. What’s a couple more?”

Lady weighed her options in her head. 

1) To freeze and die an unglorified death. 

2) Suck it up and snuggle in the enemy’s lap. 

She chose the latter. 

Stepping over to him, she watched as he sat against the cave wall to make space for her to sit in his lap. Resuming the position from earlier before she knew the identity of her savior. His hand supported her back and pushed her head to rest on his chest while another hooked under her legs to provide support to her lower extremities. He was warm and.. smelled really good. Scooting closer to him, she reminded herself that body-to-body was necessary for survival and she wasn’t just doing this just because. 

“I’m only doing this,” she muttered as she closed her eyes and pressed her cheek against his taut chest, “so I can kill you later.”

He chuckled, a deep rumble that echoed in his chest that she felt on her face. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, my angel.”

As much as she hated to admit it, she felt safe wrapped up in his arms. Given their past and their previous battles. He seemed so human right now, and when she stole a glance to look up, she saw that his deep amber eyes were lost in thought and staring into the fire he created. Ardyn almost appeared vulnerable like that. She wonders if they would ever be able to work together, but the chances of that were very slim if any… _But why would he pull me out of the snow if he really wanted me dead? That’s twice he’s saved me._

Stealing another look, she admired how handsome he really was but she would never rightly admit that aloud. Right now she focused on taking in all the warmth he was willing to give her, and figured those questions were better left for another day. When she closed her eyes again, she heard a howl in the far distance that echoed off the mountains.

It sounded so pained and so alone, perhaps the last sound emitted by a creature whose family was just killed. Strangely, it reminded her of a sound she heard when she was a kid. After her father’s death, she ran to look for anyone to help her. Soon, she came upon another patch of land that was razed, but the fire seemed newer and hotter than the last. 

Lady remembered standing there and seeing red fill the skies as if her father’s blood dyed it that color. In the midst of the tall flames, she could see lumpy shapes that littered the ground that she now recognized as bodies. And in the middle of those corpses that spoiled the land, was a monster. 

A humanoid figure in the shape of a woman with large red butterfly wings flowing from her back appeared as fire erupted around her. Despite her angry looking visage and glowing red eyes, she let out a cry that sounded like the one Lady just heard from afar. A cry that let the world know that they had just lost someone they loved. 

Lady didn’t remember much after that. She only remembered that she turned tail and ran from the scene as fast as she could. 

*******

Onna set her fountain pen down, looking to the sky as she held her hand to her chest. “She’s received the Mark of the Glacian then.” Turning her eyes to the map she was writing on that detailed circled locations, she quickly began studying them. “One down, four to go.” 


	12. XII

“Rise n’ shine, soldier.”

“Mmph, just five more minutes..” Lady grumbled, pulling the coat tighter around her. 

“I should’ve asked more money from that bastard,” that same feminine voice groaned before Lady felt the tip of a boot nudge her. “Wake up already, I’m not here to babysit you.” A figure squatted down in front of her, “Look, your phone’s been ringing. I think someone really wants to talk to you.”

Lady squinted and took her phone from the woman and her eyes got wide when she saw all the text messages and calls from the Radiant Garden gang. 

Missed call from Roxas (19)

Missed call from Xion (25) 

Missed call from Lea (15) 

Missed call from Isa (2) 

Missed call from Elly-bear (50) 

“Ugh,” getting up, Lady’s back immediately cried out in pain and she moved her hand to massage it; each individual vertebra poked at her with a vengeance, scolding her loudly. It was obvious that such an ache would develop, she slept on a cave floor for crying out loud. “My back..”

“Hmph,” the woman who woke her up walked around the cave and observed the way clothes were laid out or carelessly strewn about as well as the naked state of Lady with only Ardyn’s coat covering her body. “Were you and the chancellor.. y’know.”

“‘scuse me?” Lady frowned, wiping her eyes to get the crusty bits off at her corneas . 

“I mean, I knew the chancellor was a weird guy but this..?” she tutted. “Sex in caves during a storm, now that’s an odd one.” 

“I-” Lady scrambled up. “No! We didn’t have sex here!” 

“Oh, did you guys do it outside and then-”

“ _No!_ ” she walked over to start piling up her clothes in her arms. “Ardyn and I-” she stopped to correct herself when the woman had an amused smile on her face with how she addressed the Chancellor of Niflheim with such familiarity, “-we’re _not_ lovers of any kind.” Quickly grabbing her shirt and pants, she turned her front to the wall and began slipping it on, “In fact, I hate his guts.”

“Whatever you say, dollface. I’m just here to escort you home.” 

Lady turned around to look at the woman. She was gorgeous. With ash-gray bangs that framed her slim face while the rest was held up in a ponytail separated into tiny braids with black ribbons. Her black armored tank top revealed much of her arms but were covered by spiked red shoulder pads that glinted in the morning sun. On her long legs were black leather tights made from the scales of some unfortunate beast. Looking down at her feet, she noticed she was wearing high-heeled boots that had horns sliding up her ankles. It definitely would be hurt to be kicked in by those; in fact, everything about her armor promised anyone that if they touched her, they’d be reprimanded immediately. 

Her armor and stance reminded her of a proud dragon perched atop a snowy mountain. A creature so fierce and beautiful that many stopped to look in awe but dared not approach. 

“Who are you?” Lady asked. 

“Aranea Highwind,” the woman helped Lady slip on her other jacket. “Commodore of Niflheim’s Third Army Corps’ 87th Airborne Division, yadda yadda and all that good stuff.” Aranea’s light green eyes looked deeply into Lady’s, “So, who are you dollface? He didn’t tell me your name, just your location.”

“Lady,” she said. “It’s just Lady.”

“Hm alright, ‘Lady’, no special organization’s you’re part of? No fan clubs?” When Lady made a face, Aranea flicked her chin upwards with a chin and winked. “I’m kidding dollface, every woman’s entitled to her secrets. C’mon, let’s get you outta this cave.”

Ardyn’s jacket was still wrapped around Lady, she had to admit that it gave off more warmth than her clothes did currently and so she huddled inside of it. Whenever she sniffed, she could smell his leftover cologne and she tried to wave his face from her mind. The face he showed her when he stared deep into the fire in thought, a face that she assumed he didn’t show often. On her skin, she could feel the lapel of his coat tickling her and it almost felt like his fingers leaving a ghost of a touch on her. Forcing the chancellor from her mind, she instead focused on the outside that was soon approaching. 

The first thing she noticed was how clear and warmer it was, the second was the absence of Shiva’s body. Where she once laid was now an empty plot of land, not even an indentation was left where she was. Lady then raised her fingers to her lips where Shiva kissed her; then raised her hand to her chest where she felt that amount of cold reach her last night. Looking down, she saw a small blue mark sitting on her sternum; resting at about one and a half inches across with geometrical designs that looked identical to a little snowflake. When she touched it, she noticed it felt cold like a block of ice.

Aranea seemed to notice this too, taking in her surroundings with a cocked eyebrow then returned to look at Lady’s chest on her newly branded skin. “Did you do that?” the female dragoon asked her, motioning to the now empty land. 

“I.. think? I’m not sure.”

“You sure are a strange one, dollface,” in the distance, Aranea waved to a couple of men standing in front of a small airship. No doubt the transport that Ardyn arranged for her. “That’s my ship, just tell me where you need to go.” 

“Can’t rightly think of a place right now,” Lady muttered and looked at her phone. “Can I get a second?”

“Sure thing,” Aranea turned around to give her privacy as Lady dialed in a number and held it up to her ear. 

_“This is Genesis. Obviously I’m not on the phone, so leave a message.”_

Lady dropped the phone from her ear and let out a hefty sigh. Maybe the other two would be available?

_“Angeal Hewely. Please leave a message.”_

_“Sephiroth Crescent, leave a message.”_

She swallowed and gave up altogether. It was pointless. Not as if they would answer if she called again anyways, and she didn’t want to look more of a fool than she already was. 

“You okay?” Aranea noted the melancholy on her face. “Your boyfriend not answering or something?” 

“Yeah,” Lady looked at her phone screen with blank eyes. “Something like that.”

*******

“Genesis, this is fun and all, but-“ Nina batted her lashes at the auburn-haired man, “-let’s do something else.”

“I thought you only wanted to read through the verses,” he said with a bored look. “I’m not looking to do anything else.”

“But don’t you ever get bored of looking at the same thing over and over again? Maybe we can add something fun to spice it up,” she said, crossing her stocking-covered legs over each other. 

“Do you wish to season the pages?” he was half in-mind to roll his eyes. 

“Come on, don’t be like that,” she scooted closer to him on the seat. “You let me in, remember?” 

“I regret it already,” he muttered under his breath, out of her earshot. Nina arrived at his doorstep with a tight black dress and her deep red hair swinging loosely down the open v on her back. She was a beautiful woman, Genesis couldn’t deny it, and she offered herself freely to him but yet.. there was still something missing that he couldn’t put his finger on. 

Then it hit him. 

“Where’s my phone?” Genesis patted his pockets and looked around him to search for his device. 

Nina scoffed, casually sliding his phone out of sight before flipping her hair behind her shoulders to cover up her odd motion. “Dunno,” she said with an innocent bat of her lashes. Her eyes were darkened and glanced up at him with lust. He had had enough. Striding over to her, he put her hands on her waist as she bit her lip but was surprised as Genesis simply lifted her up and moved her to the side to uncover his phone. 

Throwing her an irritated look, he unlocked his phone to a missed call and cursed when he saw that it was from Lady. 

She sat up on her knees and threw her arms around his neck. “Who’s this ‘Lady’? Is that even a real name?” she laughed. “Sounds ridiculous.” She poked his cheek with a manicured nail, “A mistress maybe? Are you so ashamed of her that you can’t even put her real name?”

Genesis’ hand tightened around his phone. “I think it’s time for you to go home.”

Nina dropped her hands from his neck. “What? Seriously?”

“Yes,” he mocked her tone. “Seriously. Get out.” 

“Gen,” she purred, trailing her fingers up the front of his shirt. “Don’t play so hard to get.”

“I’m not,” he said cooly, “you’re just hard to want.”

Before Nina could respond, the front door opened and the two were surprised at the sudden entrance as Onna stepped in with her eyebrows raised in apprehension of the situation. First at Genesis, then to Nina, then she understood. With a practiced smile, Onna cleared her throat. “Ahem, do you mind if you remove yourself from the premises, young lady?” 

“Tch,” Nina scowled, “who are you?”

Onna’s eyes darkened with red iridescence. “His mother-in-law.” 

Both Nina and Genesis seemed surprised at this unexpected declaration of familial ties but Nina let out an irritated exhale and with a subtle scornful glower thrown in Onna’s direction, she left the house. Genesis sat back on the couch, relieved to have been saved but froze up when Lady’s mother approached him. Standing in front of him, she asked with a sickly sweet voice to have him gather both Angeal and Sephiroth. When they were gathered promptly, the three of them sat down while Onna remained standing, her posture stick-straight and elegant. 

“I want to first thank you for allowing me to stay within your home,” Onna said. “I’ve placed a protective barrier around the village so hopefully it brings you some ease.” She then took out a map that was marked in multiple locations, as well as some question marks with written paragraphs listed near them. “Something does strike me as odd. When we passed Midgar, the mana there seemed off. Much different than out here.” 

“What do you mean?” Angeal asked. 

She pointed at the huge circle on the map that was Midgar, with its great steel walls and mako reactors making up the perimeter of the huge metropolis. “I sensed something.. dark. Something ancient within its walls,” she blinked at her own handwriting. “Would you have a man to spare to look into it?”

“We already do,” Genesis leaned back in his sofa chair. “Vincent’s his name, but so far he’s got very little leads. What is it that bothers you so much?”

Onna shook her head. “Then perhaps I’ll leave it to your man, he must know the layout more than I do. Shinra never told their elites of any secret projects? Other experiments?” 

“No,” Sephiroth answered swiftly. “The only reason we know of Shinra’s experimentation was because of your daughter.”

“She did much more than that,” Angeal muttered under his breath. “Nearly died because of us.” 

“So,” she elected to stray from the topic, seeing that it weighed heavily on their minds. “This.. Jenova. She took its power from you three?”

“Yes, but,” Genesis looked to the other two before answering. “I believe we still possess the power given to us, just without Jenova’s influence.”

“I see,” she said quietly, then chuckled to herself. “You’ve never tried accessing it yourself?” When she saw the uncertainty on their faces, she smiled softly, “Afraid? If you ever feel the need to find that power within you three, then please call upon me to help.” 

The three of them were unsure, unlocking Jenova’s power was like opening a box of darkness, none of which are unlike they’ve ever seen. But even if the alien was no longer present, then there should be no need for uncertainty? Would their minds still belong to them- to harvest power without the fear of the vestiges of Jenova’s influence? This question weighed heavily in their minds and with Onna’s words, propelled it towards the realm of possibility. 

“Even if,” Sephiroth couldn’t believe he was asking such a question. “How is it possible for you to help us?”

“I was once part of Spira’s government. More specifically, their military. Instilling discipline and ensuring each soldier was at their full potential was a large part of my job. Though-” she chuckled, but this time it was filled with malice, “-I often asked myself why a religious group that practices piety would need a military.”

Genesis’ eyebrows raised. “You were a general then?”

“You seem surprised.”

“No, I guess I never expected that from you.” 

“As I said,” her eyes returned to the map. “You’d be surprised. When one takes their time bathing in war, it’s always easier to sense when there’s one coming.” 

“A war? With who?”

“Of that,” she murmured. “I’m not sure yet.” Clapping her hands together, it made the three sit back as light swirled around on the map, forming a pale yellow butterfly; it fluttered about before it reached Radiant Garden to hover above its location. “Ah, there she is, made it back safe I see.”

“Lady?” Angeal asked. 

“Yes,” she nodded. “I should get going myself. But before I do..” Onna finally took a seat, yet her back remained straight as a stick with her eyes hardening. “You three, there seems to be some discourse between you and my daughter.”

Genesis couldn’t stop himself from letting out a scoff. “How could you possibly know about that?”

“Call it a woman’s intuition,” she hummed. “What seems to be the problem?” 

Onna then listened as the three of them told her what Lady said, seemingly angry at them for reasons unknown; Genesis even added the part in which Lady came back drunk as ever, acting happy-go-lucky when he found her stumbling around the halls in the dark. Nodding as they did, she cupped her hands in her lap and seemed to be amused. She soon laughed but quickly raised a hand to cover her mouth. “My apologies,” she cleared her throat, “this situation just reminds me of something similar I went through in my youth.” 

“Care to elaborate?” Sephiroth asked. 

“Only briefly,” she replied with the traces of a laugh still on her lips. “My companions, Braska, Auron, and Jecht. We share a bond created through our journey together… Now that I think about it, it’s not that different from what you four went through.” Tapping her finger as she thought, she looked up at the ceiling. “This behavior you’re telling me about though, sounds as if she’s jealous.”

“What would she even be jealous about?” Angeal shook his head then stopped, thinking back to the way Lady seemed peeved when he reprimanded her about her behavior towards Serah. “Oh.”

Onna smiled. “Perhaps you should ask her when time permits.”

*******

“You’re telling me that your dads were the ones that stopped Sin from destroying Spira?” a young man with spiky blond hair asked, his blue eyes widening in amazement. The armor piece on his shoulder made a noise when he leaned forward with an eagerness to learn of the 

“Ven!” a young woman with chin-length blue hair nudged him, giving him a scolding look. “They don’t have to talk about it if they don’t want to. “Sorry about that, Ven can be.. unruly sometimes.”

“But Aquaaa,” Ven frowned. “I wanna know!”

“It’s okay,” Yuna assured the blue-haired woman. “I don’t mind.” She returned her attention back to Ven. “A long time ago, my father and his-” she gestured to Tidus, “-journeyed to save Spira alongside Auron and Onna since they didn’t want Sin to spread to other lands.”

He seemed disappointed. “..That’s it?”

“Yes, that’s it I’m afraid,” Yuna had an apologetic smile. 

“It’s not like they told us what happened,” Tidus shrugged. “They just told us they saved Spira, no details, nothin’.”

“Darn..” Ven leaned back in his chair. “Why?”

Xion looked up at the ceiling, tapping her chin. “Maybe they didn’t want to tell you for some reason, did something happen?” Her eyes then widened and looked at the summoner. “H-hey! Braska, Auron, and Jecht along with Lady’s mom.. were they.. y’know?”

Yuna seemed considerably confused as to what Xion was referring to, even if the black-haired girl was poking her fingers together as if signalling something. “Were they what?”

“Were they-” Xion blushed. “Were they _together_?”

“Ugh, that’s gross, don’t put that image in my head,” a muffled scoff was heard from the open window and all eyes in the room turned to the sill where Lady had one leg over as she hoisted herself up. “I don’t even wanna think of how my mom was with those three.”

“Lady, you’re back!” Xion grinned then faltered. “Did you.. did you fly up here?” 

“I climbed. Didn’t want anyone to see me and my wings are pretty large.”

“But,” Xion chuckled nervously. “We’re ten stories high.” 

Lady shrugged, the black coat around her hugged her tightly and attributed to the film of sweat on her face from her trek up the castle. “I saw Roxas at the gates, didn’t want him asking questions-” she stopped when her eyes landed on Ven, narrowing. Turning back to look out the window, she confirmed that Roxas was still standing guard at the gates and she did another take at Ven who nervously waved at her. Pointing, she made a face, “Who-?”

“This is Ven,” Xion gestured to the blond then to the blue-haired woman next to him. “And this is Aqua. They’re friends of Terra’s.”

Ven was already out of his seat and strolled towards Lady, holding his hand out, he grinned. “Hey there! I’m Ventus, but you can call me Ven.”

Shaking his hand tentatively, she noted the other two in the room and gave them a wave. “Tidus, Yuna, hey.” 

Tidus stood up. “‘Hey’? That’s all you have to say after not seeing each other for over ten years?”

Lady made a face. “What do you want me to say?”

“Don’t be such a cold-hearted jerk. Why’re you always mean to me? C’mon now, there’s gotta be more you can say than that.”

She grimaced. “Fine. Tell me Tidus, do you still wet your pants when you get scared of the dark?”

“I dunno,” Tidus shot back, “do you still get mad because no one wants to date you?” When it looked like steam was about to come out of her ears, a shit-eating grin crossed his face. “Careful,” he warned, “wouldn’t want you to fall out now.”

Lady was still perched atop the windowsill with half a mind to pull Tidus down the castle’s side with her. Inhaling, she swung her other leg over and strode over to the son of the famed blitzball player, Jecht. Though Tidus amassed his own achievements without his father’s help and became a well-known hot-shot in the sports word, she still viewed him as someone similar to a little brother.. as well as a little shit. 

“Tidus, tidus, tidus,” she hummed. “Annoying as usual.” She poked him in the chest, “Look at you, you’ve grown from the short-stack you were before. But I’m sure I can still put you in a headlock.” 

The blond jock leaned forward with a challenging grin. “If you can catch me.”

“I will later,” she growled, adjusting the heavy coat that nearly drowned her in its raised collars. Xion glanced at the coat with an inquisitive grin, having seen that particular design before on a certain Imperial Chancellor, but she elected to say nothing. Lady looked at her phone as messages popped up from a number she’s never seen before but has somehow been saved onto her contacts list. 

Aranea: Hey, mind giving me a heads up before you jump out of my ship while we’re still in the air?

Lady  : When did you put your number in my phone?

It didn’t take Aranea long to respond back, and she assumed the commodore was bored. 

Aranea: I don’t wanna lose my job because of your ass, pretty sure ol’ Chancy would get upset if I let you die. 

Lady:  Actually I think you’d be doing him a favor..

She hesitated before typing in the next text and hitting send. 

Lady:  I’ll buy you dinner to make up for it lol. 

Aranea:  I’ll hold you to that, dollface. 

*******

Yuna held up a moogle doll in front of Lady’s face as she tilted her head, her heterochromatic eyes shining under the sun. “Look! When your mother said we’d be coming to see you, I found your old doll to bring with us.”

“Thanks Yunie,” Lady took the doll from her and observed it in her hands. It seemed so much smaller now. “You realize that I don’t sleep with dolls anymore right?”

“But you always told me to watch over Mr. Mog if you were ever gone, remember? I kept my word!” She gave a tiny salute to her and Lady only laughed. It was funny seeing Yuna do that. And it was funnier still when it was known that Yuna was a couple inches shorter than her. That fact made it easy for kids to pick on her when they were younger, if not that, then the kids made fun of her eyes. One blue and the other green, Lady always thought they were beautiful, but kids would be kids. 

“Don’t you remember? Our promise?” Yuna then asked quietly. 

Lady chuckled. “Which one?” 

“You’d be my guardian when I become a fully-fledged summoner,” she said with her hands clasped together in front of her. “Onna said you were in the military too, it’d be a perfect plan don’t you think?”

The ex-SOLDIER laughed, putting her hand on the summoner’s head and messing up her perfectly combed hair. “I think Tidus will protect you just fine without me being there. You got really beautiful, you know that? I’m sure all the boys on the island want to date you now, eh?”

She blushed furiously. “Oh please, I doubt that.” Taking Lady’s hands in hers, she put it to her forehead before lowering it back down. “Won’t you consider our promise?”

“Hm, I dunno,” Lady mused, then her expression saddened. “Wouldn’t want to disappoint you when I fall short.”

*******

Lady looked over the books she’d amassed from the library then set it down with a little more force than she intended, making Ienzo jump in his seat. Sitting down next to him, she began poring over the multiple stories and described ceremonies that were held for summoners after their rite of passage. As she expected, most of them died due to the extreme nature of these trials. 

Crossing her arms, she leaned over and put her head on Ienzo’s shoulder as she thought about all the things she’s seen so far and failed to notice how stiff his posture became when her head made contact with it. “Gods,” she muttered. “I wish I knew what was going on.” A groan was let out that echoed in the empty library. 

He laughed. “I get that way too sometimes, when I’m overwhelmed.”

“What do you do when you get like this?”

“I read more.”

“Of course.” The room they sat in was expansive, boasting many shelves with many volumes broaching many subjects. It was a dream of hers when she was younger to have a library as grand as this, with all the books she could want that taught her something new everyday. Maybe in the future she would invest into one. “Ienzo,” she rolled her head on his shoulder until she could look up at him. “You look good in that lab coat, it suits you.”

Through his messy hair, she could see a faint pink growing on his cheeks. “O-oh! You think so?” he adjusted the ascot on his neck. “Thank you.” 

“No problem,” she nudged him and lifted her head from his shoulder. “Guess I should stop slacking off and actually study.” Sitting up, she scooted her chair in and they both resumed reading. “Hey,” she nudged him one last time. “Thanks for coming here with me.”

“My pleasure,” he smiled, “I needed to come here as well.”

“Well, aren’t I lucky?” she mused as she flipped the page, admiring the expertly-drawn pictures first before diving into the lengthy blocked paragraphs. 

Closing his book, he turned his body towards Lady. “That girl, Yuna, said that summoners usually couldn’t summon more than one aeon, is it true?” 

“No,” Lady answered swiftly, her eyes never leaving the pages. “Summoners can summon up to six. But the most that’s ever been recorded granted to any human was two.”

“Why is that?”

Her eyes turned to him with her lips forming a firm line. “Because it takes a toll on you. Forging a covenant with any Astral is exhausting, mentally and physically, plus the power that’s granted to you is truly something else- but of course it comes at a price.”

“Has anyone ever conquered all six?”

“Other than any of the previous Lucian lines? No one else I’ve heard of.” Her finger stopped tapping against the table and her eyes scanned the pages in front of her, taking in the drawn picture of a human sitting amongst six figures drawn at a much larger scale than the one in the middle. Swirls were exiting these beings to merge with the one in the middle, imbuing them with power. “Besides,” she muttered. “Whoever gets to have that much power is only inviting trouble. They’d have to give up something of equal value.” 

Taking one last glance at the drawing of one receiving all six of the gods’ powers, she quickly turned the page and spent the rest of her session in comfortable silence. 

*******

Ienzo finished putting up all of his books; making sure they were in the proper spots in the right alphabetical order. When he returned to the table, he found Lady with her head down on the table and sleeping soundly. Smiling, he shook his head. “You shouldn’t sleep here,” he said to her as if she was listening. Reaching to the zipper of his coat, he began pulling it down and taking it from his shoulders, then draping it over hers as she slept. 

“Ienzo,” a deep voice called from behind him and he froze. Turning around, he saw golden eyes in the darkness that stepped closer to him. “I’ll take her to her room,” Xemnas continued. 

Ienzo stepped in front of her with an instinct to protect. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” He still didn’t trust Xemnas after all even if he tried his best upon Lady’s behest. 

“Will you carry her yourself, then?” 

The steel-blue haired scientist wavered and then conceded, there was no way he’d be able to lift Lady in his arms. Perhaps a piggy-back but at that point she would have woken up with how he struggled to get her in position. Gesturing towards her, he watched as Xemnas easily scooped her up in arms with his lab coat still around her shoulders. 

“Do you need this back?” Xemnas gestured to his coat and Ienzo shook his head. 

“I’ll retrieve it when she wakes up.”

“Very well,” his ex-Superior carried her out of the library as Zexion watched and when they were out of earshot, he let out a defeated sigh. 

*******

Xemnas continued down the hall with only his footsteps keeping him company as well as the woman sleeping in his arms that he carried. He soon heard another set of footsteps behind him and he turned to see a young woman with blue hair and eyes; her armor indicating she was a warrior of some sort, a Keyblade Wielder. They widened at the sight of him and she stepped closer to see him as the darkness of the hall shadowed his figure. 

“Terra..?” she said and when she got closer she stopped. “Oh,” the disappointment was evident in her voice. “I’m sorry I thought you were a friend of mine.” She then looked down at the woman in his arms and seemed confused. “Where are you taking her?” 

The answer was obvious in his mind. “To my room to sleep.”

“Oh,” she said rather bashfully, looking down. “Sorry for stopping you, good night.”

When she turned to walk away, Xemnas felt the name slip from his lips. “Aqua.”

The blue-haired Keyblade Master turned around, shocked to have him address her so casually. “Yes?”

“I’m deeply sorry,” he muttered. “About your friend.”

Aqua’s eyes shimmered with sadness. She hadn’t seen Terra in years. “Yeah,” she forced a smile. “Me too.” 

Watching Xemnas walk away with Lady, Aqua could see the similarities in him with Terra. The bangs, nose, eyebrows.. but it undeniably belonged to someone a bit older than the lost Keyblade Master. It only made her miss her friend even more. The hope that she had within her to see him again was renewed upon seeing Xemnas’ face. 

*******

By the time Xemnas brought Lady to his room, the constant movement jolted her awake and she blinked up to see the man. When she realized what he was doing, she put a hand on his arm which gave him pause. “Wait,” she muttered, still half-asleep, “I want to shower first.” 

Letting her down gently, she rubbed her closed eyes and navigated her way to the bathroom. As the door shut behind her, a swirl of darkness formed in the corner of his room and Xemnas turned to greet the person beyond for he already sensed his presence long before he made it known. 

“What are you doing here?” Xemnas asked, his stoic face gave way to mild annoyance. 

“You know he’s coming for her, right?” Ansem said as he stepped through, his silvery-white hair glinting under the moonlight. “You can’t possibly keep your eye on her at all times.” 

“Came here to warn me? How _thoughtful_.” Xemnas replied.

“You’re a fool, Xemnas, you can’t protect her forever and you still play at the idea of actually developing love for this woman.”

“Me? A fool?” Xemnas chuckled. “Why don’t you swallow that pride of yours? You, a man who still fights for a cause he no longer believes in. I’ve found my purpose, Ansem, what is yours?” To this, his counterpart had no answer for and they both glared at each other with golden eyes shining in the darkness. 

*******

The hot steam of the shower hitting her back slowly woke her up and as she wiped down her body with soap, she thought back to the events over the past few days. Gathering the hot water in her hands, she splashed it onto her face and hummed a small tune with her fingers touching the part of her chest that was now marked by Shiva. Closing her eyes, she practiced her breathing, in and out in a slow fashion to focus her mind; the third exhale that hit the hot droplets turned them into small droplets of ice. When she opened her eyes again, her eyes turned an icy blue with a mix of purple at her inner iris. Her breaths left her in cold gasps and the hot steam filling the bathroom turned to freezing air. 

If she wasn’t awake before, she was definitely awake now. 

Her teeth began chattering and she scrambled for the knob to turn the shower off. To her astonishment, the knob froze solid upon her touching. “Sh-shit,” she muttered, looking around for something to thaw it out so that the freezing water would stop hitting her. She was so caught up in her own endeavors that she couldn’t hear the conversation taking place just outside the bathroom door. 

*******

“Xemnas,” Ansem resumed. “You-”

He was cut off as he heard the distinct noise of someone falling in the shower followed by a frantic yelp. 

Something that sounded like an object being chipped was heard next and Xemnas knocked on the door. “Are you al-”

“Don’t come in here!” Came a muffled yelp. “Everything’s fine!”

*******

Everything was not fine. The bathroom was a frozen wasteland. Everything that could be iced over was and even the water stopped, presumably because of the giant block of ice now covering it. “Oh gods, oh _gods_ ,” she had to fix this before he came in, otherwise she would never be able to show her face again. A display of magic like this wasn’t typical for her, she would usually control it well and only show this much destruction if her emotions got out of hand. She was calm earlier, what triggered it? 

Her hand flew up to her chest and she gasped. Closing her eyes, she willed herself to focus and pictured the bathroom at its previous state sans ice. She imagined the thin layer of ice covering the countertops cracking and dissipating, then she thought of the water in the shower running freely without hindrance. Focusing her mana, her eyes glowed that bright icy blue once more, the pupils dilating into thin slits as she willed the ice to be gone. 

_Break._

At her command, the ice began to crack and groan as it surrendered to its ambient temperatures. The time it took for the ice to appear was also the same amount of time for it to disappear as she watched it shrink until there was nothing left. Only the hanging chill in the air remained when she was done and she let out a relieved sigh. At least she finished her shower before any of this happened. 

Looking around for something to cover up with, she grimaced when she saw that the towels and clothes she had were soaked through with cold water. Biting her lip, she walked to the door and pressed her face against it. “Xemnas?” she said softly. “Do you have something I can wear?”

A knock at the door was soon heard and she opened it a crack as a hand reached inside with a black piece of material in it. When she grabbed it, the hand quickly rescinded and she let out another relieved sigh. 

*******

“It’s unusual for someone to take showers in such cold temperatures, is it not?” Ansem muttered as he inspected his hand, still feeling a chill resting on his layer of skin. 

Xemnas ignored him. “Have you considered my offer?” 

His Heartless counterpart scoffed. “As if they would welcome me here with open arms.”

“They won’t,” his Nobody agreed. “But she would.”

When they both heard the door start to open, Xemnas glared at his other. “Make yourself scarce,” he said in a harsh whisper. 

*******

As soon as Lady stepped out, she closed the door behind her. Xemnas’ black coat was on her and dangling rather loosely. She zipped it up just below her sternum and he noticed how she shivered slightly when she walked. “Hey,” she said, “sorry if you heard anything weird earlier.” 

“Are you alright?” his eyes trailed to the parts of her chest that she failed to cover up. The silver zipper was haphazardly dangling with each movement of her body, daring him to unzip it. 

“I’m fine, just cold,” she said, leaning forward in a desperate attempt to be close to his body warmth. “Sorry, mind if I just-?”

His arms wrapped around her and even he was surprised when her hair felt like they'd been blasted with cold air. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear, “Do you need me to warm you up?”

Chills ran up her arms and it wasn’t because he was cold, rather, it was his voice; dripping with honey, the same color as his eyes. She felt him reach for the zipper on the front of her coat and slowly dragged it down. When the air met her bare skin, she let out a subtle gasp that was quickly interrupted when his lips found hers. As his tongue licked her bottom lip, the zipper soon came undone and his hands slipped the black coat off of her and let it pool around her feet. “Beautiful,” he said when his lips backed from her for a brief moment before crashing down on hers again. 

Whatever cold she felt was replaced with hot excitement as she felt his bare hands roam around her body with hunger. When he felt the curve of her hips and slipped down to grab her ass, he picked her up as her legs wrapped around his waist while their lips never left each other. He brought her to his bed, laying her down as he caressed her face while the other moved to separate her legs. Gripping her calves, he moved his head down to kiss the innermost part of her thighs without getting too close to her entrance- making her all the more ready to receive him. Sensing her urgency, to speed this up, he looked up at her with a small smirk. “Be patient,” he told her in a tone so demanding that she immediately obeyed. 

He trapped her in his arms, positioning himself right on top of her as he bent down to kiss her neck. His tongue lashing out to leave trails of glistening saliva down her skin as he took his time tasting her. The scent of her body was enough to drive him mad with lust but he forced himself to bide his time, to enjoy this. He’s waited so long to caress her, to hold her and to claim her. His lips found her breast and began suckling on it, earning him a small mewl as she felt his teeth nibbling at her nipples before his tongue circled it. 

Her hands were so desperate to grab onto him and she became frustrated at the fact that he was still fully clothed. Fumbling at his dress shirt, she tried to unbutton the front but with no success; as every time he nipped at her skin, she lost focus immediately. Frustrated, she bunched up the front of his shirt in her fists and promptly ripped it off. Buttons flew and landed on the ground in subtle _clacks!_ Xemnas chuckled at her impatience and took a moment to look her in the eyes to see the craving she had swirling in her irises. Her lips were wet and moist with saliva, and her cheeks were flushed pink. The rise and fall of her chest was enough to tell him that she was almost ready to burst. But he wanted to savor this a bit more. 

Raising her hips towards his, she locked him in her grasp and grinded herself against his crotch that undoubtedly hardened. When she saw that he wanted her just as much as she did him, she decided that it wasn’t fair for her to be the only one teased. Lifting herself towards him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him the same treatment that he did on her. Leaving bruising kisses followed by her tongue swirling around his skin before biting down to show him that she too could mix pain with pleasure. To her delight, she could hear him hold back a subtle groan as her breasts pushed against his bare chest while she worked on marking him. Unwinding her legs from his waist, she made him stand as she was on her knees on the bed. Her hair grasped the back of his head as she continued to kiss his neck while her other hand traveled downwards to his pants. 

Unbuttoning the front, she slipped her hand underneath and pulled his cock out- and to her delight, it was just as she imagined when she grinded against him prior. Stroking it slowly, she listened to him and felt for movement to know just how he liked to be stroked. Her thumb slid down the slit of his top and she felt the sticky fluid coat her finger as she traveled up and down, pumping him to try and push him to his furthest limits. She wanted to know what made this man groan with pleasure, what his thoughts were about when covered in the heat of lust.

Another small groan escaped his lips and she felt him catch her wrist to stop her. “You didn’t hold back,” he said, his voice getting lower as he lifted her hand off of him. Golden eyes looked down at her as she swallowed. “That must mean that I don’t have to either, correct?”

“I-“ she was interrupted as she was forced backwards and pulled to the edge of the bed with her legs dangling off. A long finger glided against her slit and she let out a small whimper; through the open seam in his shirt, she could see his body for once after so long and saw it to be firm and taut with muscles. She should’ve known this, with the way she felt his shoulders in the past and how broad they were- still, nothing could prepare her for how beautiful this man looked bathed in pale moonlight and on the cusp of ravaging her endlessly. 

Watching as he guided himself to her, she swallowed hard when she felt his cock prod at her entrance and imagined what the rest of his large length would feel like if it were to enter her so suddenly. 

Thankfully her question was soon answered as Xemnas swiftly thrusted into her; his length sliding in easily thanks to just how wet she was from him kissing her. He inhaled sharply when he felt his tip hit her cervix, the impact sending electrical impulses to both parties. Taking her legs at the knees, he pushed her legs back; gripping them tightly for support, he pulled away only to push back with enough force that made her back arch upwards and her head slam down on the mattress. 

She was half in mind to scream, to alert the whole castle of just how good it felt to be with him- with Xemnas. When he didn’t move again, she felt his hand caress her cheek. His thumb grazing against her bottom lip and she pursed her lips to kiss it. When their eyes met, she swore she would have melted in those pools of deep gold. “Xemnas,” she pleaded with him, “please move. I can’t take it anymore.”

Understanding her want, he let go of his own inhibitions and let himself be lost in his desire for her. Pinning her legs down by the knees, his hips moved back and thrusted forward. Each consecutive lunge sent jolts up her body with enough force to make her cry out in pleasure. From her position she could see his dick pumping in and out, making such lewd wet noises as it exited and entered her quickly. It made her question how something so lengthy could go inside of her without hurting so bad. 

Through her incoherent ramblings, he heard her constantly say his name and it only reaffirmed that he was here, taking her fast. The thin veil of concentration on his face was briefly broken when she lifted her hips slightly, angling herself in a way that made it easier for him to find the spot which would quickly undo her. It felt good to him, like a wet kiss every time he hit that spot, and with the way she moaned too, he knew it felt good for her too. 

Skin slapping against skin filled the room every time his hips connected with her thighs and she gasped when he picked up the pace, not wanting to hold back much longer. “Xemnas,” she gasped when he leaned forward and she felt his arms wrap around her waist. Picking her up, with both hands grabbing her ass to support her from the bottom while she instinctively clung onto him with arms around his neck. She wanted to kiss him again and so she did, pulling herself closer as he steadily began fucking her in that position. He supported her with such ease that the thought of her being too heavy didn’t bother her. Soon her back was pressed against the cool surface of the wall and it reminded her that she was almost freezing prior- but now, she only felt the heat that left a shining sheen of sweat and fluids covering her nude body. 

His hands moved up to grip her thighs and began fucking her against the wall. The solid surface behind her only served to push her body against him further as he constantly buried himself inside of her. He was silent the whole time, save for only sharp inhales and short exhales. It let her know that he would soon be arriving at his limit. 

Shocks rippled her body that traveled down her legs and up her spine and shook her to her core. Pressure built up inside her and she so desperately wanted it released but alongside him. To her surprise, Xemnas dipped down to bite down on the tender flesh there. Mixed with the wave of ecstasy that was fast approaching, she bit down on his shoulder to muffle the high-pitch scream that wanted to rip from her throat. Her orgasm was approaching and hit her like a damn train; she clung onto him as if he was the only port in a storm that could save her from the waves crashing down. 

When a low growl rumbled in his throat accompanied with the feeling of something hot spilling inside of her did she realize that he had reached his limit too. Both of them rode their highs as they leaned against each other, both silently panting. Only as her high came down did she feel the bruising kisses he had left on her neck, effectively marking her as his for days to come. Glancing up at his neck, she smirked when she saw red blooming under the thin layer of his tanned skin. She had marked him as well. 

“Can you stand?” he asked her. When she gave a vehement shake of her head, he chuckled. Her legs felt like jelly and the only reason she wasn’t collapsed on the floor was because he supported her. He carried her to the bed and laid her down, slipping beside her as she scooted over to make room for him. Laying her head down on his shoulder, she traced a finger on his skin, drawing small hearts over his chest. 

Turning on his side, he cradled her face in his hands and placed a deep kiss on her lips. Over on the round table sitting in the middle of his room, she saw the rose she left to him for safekeeping; still sitting prettily in a glass vase, there as a reminder as a non-verbal declaration of his love for her. 


	13. XIII

The air was knocked out of Lady’s lungs as she was thrown back onto the stone floor. Her head collided painfully and she heard a ringing in her ears that lingered even after the spell itself wore off. She had almost forgotten the sensation of being blasted with magic, especially at this caliber. Staggering up, she slid her thumb over her tongue and used it to douse the small flame on her shirt that was still going. 

Across the courtyard was Onna, her painted red lips were pulled into a straight line and her eyes were cold and calculating as she regarded each and every movement her daughter made. “Is this really the best that Shinra could have offered?” she challenged and Lady bit back her anger. Her mother had arrived along with Angeal, Genesis, and Sephiroth. Apparently those three were headed to Midgar to meet with Vincent. Typical. They didn’t tell her anything. _But I suppose I can’t judge them._

She cast a wary glance up at the three and saw that they too were observing the mock fight with great interest. Gods, she still had yet to figure out what happened last night in the shower and how it came to be. Freezing something was something she did before, however, completely laying waste to a room was-

_Bam!_

Lady got knocked back again and her gums began to numb up as she tasted something akin to burnt meat filling up her mouth. Rolling back, she placed her palms flat against the ground and pushed herself up just as Onna had the remnants of lightning crackle between her fingers that were the color of crimson. 

“Again,” was all she said as Lady massaged her jaw. Rage was starting to edge away at her patience and Lady clenched her fists. “Come at me,” her mother instructed her, “with an intent to kill. Distractions only bring you closer to your grave.”

Overhead on the parapet surrounding the perimeter of the balcony was Zack who cheered loudly. “C’mon, Lady! You can do it!” Beside him, Cloud hid his face in his palm and let out a sigh. 

She screamed internally. She almost forgot they were there too. Before she turned her head back to her mom, she could feel the air feel heavier and her ears began to pop loudly. Her body moved on its own as she stepped to the side as a bolt of lightning struck the spot she was previously standing in. _Is she crazy?!_ Lady gritted her teeth. _She’s really trying to kill me!_

“Stop holding back,” Onna said her command with such a firm tone and at that, Lady had had enough. 

“As you wish, mother dearest,” she spat as she focused her weight on her left leg. Her pinkie wrapped into her palm, followed by her other fingers. Set deep in her irises were a cool blue that disappeared as quickly as it appeared. Pushing from her left leg, she sprinted towards Onna with eyes trained on her. When she was mere feet away, she spun on her toes and arrived directly behind her. Bringing her leg up as the shin was coated in ice, she aimed it directly for her head. Lady only saw a flash of red glint in her mother’s eyes before her fist came up to block her attack. 

“Your movements are too obvious. Again.” Onna pushed her and Lady skidded away. Coating her fist with ice this time, she bounced back immediately and aimed for the stomach. Once more, her mother caught her fist effortlessly in one hand. “You’re letting your anger take ahold of you,” extending her arm forward, Lady found herself pushed back _yet again_. “Fury can be a tool, a powerful one,” her voice echoed in the courtyard. “But it is not a crutch.”

When Lady didn’t get up, merely sitting there with crossed legs and scornful eyes, Onna exhaled slowly. “You should never be reliant on it, only u-”

“Only use it as a channel,” Lady barked out. “I know, _I know._ ”

“Then if you know, why don’t you _do_?” 

Standing up, Lady frowned. “I’m done here, I didn’t even want to train yet you pulled me out anyways! I’m going back inside,” she walked away. 

“I did it to see if your body has adjusted to the Glacian’s power.”

She stopped in her tracks at her mother’s words. Glancing up at the balcony, she was relieved to see that it was now empty of any spectators. Turning around, she approached her mother again. “What’s your game here? Do you want me to forge a covenant with all of the Astrals?”

Onna’s eyes narrowed. “Do you want to kill Bahamut or not?”

“I-” she hesitated. “Aren’t there consequences to killing a god?” 

“There are consequences to everything we do. But the ones brought on by Bahamut while he’s dead far outweigh the ones that happen while he’s alive. He is a _threat_ to humanity, to this world, and to _you_ .” When Onna spoke Bahamut’s name, she spat it out with such disgust. As if it was a foul toxin that she tasted on her tongue. _Funny_ , Lady thought _, she used to be the head priestess presiding over worship for the Draconian himself._

“I guess,” she muttered. “If there’s no other choice.” 

“Then you must do what I ask and trust me.”

“ _Trust_?” she scoffed. “You’ve given me no reason to trust you thus far.” She began pacing, “So I was right. You do want me to forge the covenants. But you know that’s impossible.”

“Not impossible, just extremely difficult. You will be tested in various ways depending on the one who seeks to judge you,” Onna remained still, watching her daughter go back and forth. 

“So what, they’re gonna keep hitting me with their elements like Shiva did? Sure, I guess. I can take that.”

“Don’t be mistaken,” her mother’s tone darkened. “Shiva went easy on you because I was owed a favor.” 

Lady stopped in her tracks then glared at her. “How is it that a mortal is owed a favor from a _god_?” her whisper left her in hisses. 

Folding her hands in front of her, Onna spoke. “Shiva once asked me to help her find Ifrit and so I did. She was once a god who cared little for mortals and their affairs..”

“Until the Pyrekeeper warmed her heart showing compassion for the humans, yes yes I know this bedtime story already. I still don’t understand, if you want me to forge them so badly, why don’t you do it?”

Onna looked as if she was about to say something then hesitated, a trait very rarely displayed by her mother. “It’s not so simple.”

Crossing her arms, Lady squinted at her mother. “You know what’s funny to me? Jecht, Auron, Braska.. They clearly looked like they’ve aged. But you-” she leaned in close, “-don’t look like you aged since I last saw you. Now why is that?”

When her mother was silent, she clicked her tongue. “Fine. Don’t tell me. I’ll just ask the other three.” Walking away, she was stopped again when her mother called out to her. 

“We still need to train you. Body and mind as well as your soul. You must be ready for the tasks ahead.” 

Lady raised her hands then dropped them in defeat, shaking her head. “Why?” she asked, turning her head with an irritated scowl. “Why does it always have to be me?”

“You’re the one most suited,” she responded in a matter-of-fact tone, as if it should’ve been obvious. “You, who’s survived the 2000 year old scourge that used to plague these lands and was also revived by one of the most feared gods in all of the Six. Your body has been modified with mako and fortified by our family’s magic. It could only be you.”

Swallowing, she declined to respond and turned to head back inside the castle with her mother’s words echoing in her head. Bouncing around painfully as that shock spell did to her earlier. _It could only be you_ … _Damn it._ She hated those words. Because they sounded like the truth. 

*******

“Vanitas,” Ventus stood in front of the black-haired Keyblade Wielder’s ‘cage’. “I didn’t believe them at first when they said you were here, but-” 

“Well, believe it punk. I’m here to stay,” Vanitas responded with a smug sneer. He was laying on the bed on his side, with his elbow propping him up and one leg arched over the other. 

Gripping the magical bar, Ventus frowned. “Where’s-”

“Terra?” he interrupted the blond, the annoyance replaced. “Don’t you know how to talk about anyone else, any hobbies? Or is your head so far up Terra’s ass you can’t see anything else but him?”

Ventus gritted his teeth and banged his fist against the bars. “Stop being such a dick!” He took a moment to compose himself and drummed his fingers on the bars. “You could’ve gotten out of here a long time ago, why stay?”

“Got nothin’ better to do,” was his reply and for some reason it made Ventus even more mad. Before he could summon his Keyblade to his hand, the door to the room opened and in stepped Lady with a tray. “Oh, it’s you!” Ventus relaxed and smiled at her. “Lady, right?”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “Fancy meeting you here,” she said as she looked between Ventus and Vanitas then connected the pieces together. Vanitas did say he had a brother figure, so it made sense that they would inevitably meet. And it so happens that she just walked into a brotherly spat. 

“Finally,” Vanitas sat up and walked over to the bars separating them. “Kept me waiting long, toy.” 

Lady smacked her lips. “Don’t be rude. It just took me a while to cook,” setting the tray down on a small table, she picked up the spoon filled with soup and used a hand to shelter it as she brought it over. “Now say ‘ahhh’.”

To Ventus’ surprise, he obeyed and opened his mouth wide enough for the spoon to slide right in. Swallowing it, Vanitas smacked his mouth loudly before announcing his review. “Did you boil dishwater?” When Lady looked as if he offended her whole lineage, he rolled his eyes. “Take a joke, toy. It’s good. I guess.”

“Ass,” she muttered under her breath. 

“Hey,” Ventus got her attention. “Do you think you can disable the bars? I want to talk to him face-to-face.”

“We _are_ face-to-face,” Vanitas motioned to the bright yellow divider that wasn’t that thick in width. “Dumbass.”

“That’s not what I mean,” Ven frowned. “I just want to see something,” he turned to Lady, “please?”

Lady looked unsure, looking between the blond and black-haired brothers. “I guess.. I should stay thought. Just in case.”

“Don’t worry,” Ven reassured her. “If he does anything. I’ll take care of it and if I need help, Aqua will be there too.”

She gave him a pointed look then resigned. “Alright.. If you insist.” Placing her hand on the bars, it soon was torn down, vanishing into crystallized dust that evaporated into the floor. Vanitas was left without restraints and had his magic returned to him once more. 

Vanitas rolled his neck and shoulders, stretching his fingers as he looked at them with a wide smile. “Damn. That feels good to have them back.”

“Van..” Lady warned. 

“Stop worrying, toy. I’m not gonna run off,” Vanitas sneered. 

“Stop calling her that!” Ven chided his brother. “Her name’s Lady.”

“That’s not her real name, idiot. It’s just a nickname.”

“I’ll take my leave then,” Lady quickly excused herself before it escalated any further. When she closed the door, she heard them trying hard to contain their anger. Well, only Ventus did as she could hear Vanitas openly mock him. She only hoped they wouldn’t fight too much. 

Continuing down the hallway, she could feel a chill in the air that was attributed to the corridors of darkness the ex-Organization members used. But she couldn’t tell if the person approaching was anyone she knew so she held her assumptions until she could hear the rush of wind and the accompanying footsteps of someone emerging from one. Turning around, she was surprised to see Ansem, Terra’s- er, Xehanort’s Heartless. 

“What business do you have?” she asked plainly and he was amused by how calm she remained. 

“I came to offer advice,” he said, crossing his arms as he towered over her. 

“What makes you think I want it?” she grimaced. 

“Trust me,” a smirk crossed his face. “You will.”

“Are you here for Vanitas?” She didn’t trust him. Not one bit. But surely if he was here, Xemnas would’ve felt his presence and alerted her, right? 

“As I said, I came to offer advice, nothing more.” 

“And what do you want in exchange for such _valuable_ information?” she offered him her own sneer. Nothing was free. And surely he wasn’t doing this out of the kindness of his own heart. 

He watched her carefully and uncrossed his arms; his body language turning into one that alerted her that he was more open to discussion. “A chance.”

_Chance? Chance for what?_ Movement down the hall garnered her attention and she stood on her tiptoes to peek over his shoulder just in time to see a head of short silver hair turn the corner. _Oh no, he can’t see this guy_. Grabbing Ansem by the arm, she opened the door nearby and shoved him in. “Stay here!” she ordered him as she pressed her back against the door while Riku took his time getting to where she stood. 

When the Keyblade Master approached, she had a nervous smile plastered on her face while he in turn gave her an odd look. “Why are you just standing there?”

“It’s not as if it’s illegal,” she retorted. “What? I can’t enjoy standing in front of a room?”

Riku frowned and pointed at the door behind her. “That’s a broom closet, you know. Won’t find much in there besides dust.. Maybe some hopes and dreams too, if you look hard enough.” With one last laugh, she thought he would move away but froze when his face changed into that of agitation. “Something reeks of darkness.” 

Lady blinked. How would smelling something like that even be possible? Though she could tell if lightning was about to strike just by the frying odor in the air just moments before, or how magical fire has no gasoline or burning wood smell, only crude magic aura. When she told people about this, they thought she was crazy- she supposed it was the same for Riku because of his inclination for darkness. Or so she was told.

Though, she was told that was all in the past and she didn’t want to judge him on errors he made while influenced. 

Smiling, she tilted her head. “What are you talking about?” 

Riku looked left and right then directly at Lady, more specifically, the door behind her. “It’s coming from there.” When he moved to grab at the door handle, she cleared her throat loudly and caught his hand. 

“You may be imagining things,” she held onto his hand tighter, clasping it so that he couldn’t move it any further. 

He seemed taken aback at the sudden display of platonic affection but didn’t pull back. “Ah, um,” he seemed shy when her fingers intertwined closely with his but she only did it so that he wouldn’t wrap his around the doorknob. 

“You should go rest,” she smiled, seeing his face look hot. “You look feverish,” raising the back of her hand on his forehead, he seemed to tense up even more. “See? You’re red.” When it didn’t seem like he would move, she leaned in closer so that her face was mere inches from his. “Riku?”

“Yeah?”

“You good?”

He unwound his hands from hers and turned around to cough into his fist. “I’m fine,” he said with his face still turned away from her. “I guess it was nothing, I’ll just go.”

Waving at him, she waited till he disappeared around another corner before quickly entering the closet behind her. Inside was dark, but she could tell it was cramped and tightly stuffed with various cleaning supplies. Closing the door behind her to make sure she wasn’t spotted again, she waited until her eyes adjusted to the darkness while she pressed her back against the door. The only light visible was from the small slit below the doorframe and she looked down to see it illuminate a bit of the floor in front of her with her legs casting two shadows that trailed further in. 

“He seems to be doing well,” a deep voice remarked and she jumped slightly, unnerved at his ability to blend in so well with the shadows. 

“Who? Riku?” she blinked to try and make her eyes adjust to the darkness more and she finally saw the head of silvery-white hair framing a set of golden irises. “Yeah.. he is.” A hand landed above her head on the door and she moved her head up to see his face illuminated with what sparse light they had. “Should we take this conversation somewhere else?” 

“I don’t see why we can’t continue it here, away from prying eyes.”

She held back a laugh. “In a broom closet? It hardly seems fitting,” the laugh escaped her when she saw that his head almost touched the ceiling. “You wouldn’t be uncomfortable?”

“It’ll do. My words will be short,” he said and lowered his head, his golden eyes flashing. “You surely know by now that Terra pursues you,” his words made her lean against the door for support as she bit her bottom lip. “In his current state, he will stop at nothing until you’re in his grasp.”

“Will it be soon?” she was almost afraid to ask. She didn’t want to fight him, nor did she want to put anyone in danger. 

“I’m sure you can feel it when he’s near,” he assured her. 

This puzzled her, but a more pressing question came to her lips first. “Why are you helping me?” 

A raised eyebrow and a smile was his answer before taking one of her hands and holding it to his chest. “Let’s just say I’m curious,” he smiled and made her look up at him. “Do I remind you of him?”

“No.” Their faces were too similar, and the matching eyes and hair color certainly didn’t help. Even though that was her spoken answer, he knew better and smiled. 

“It doesn’t benefit you to lie,” there was a degree of smugness in his voice while his hand reached to pull down the short-sleeved turtleneck she wore to reveal the bruising red kiss that Xemnas left on her. “That man has a proclivity for marking what’s his,” he tutted. “How upset would he be, I wonder, if I were to replace it?” 

“I think he would be irked at the slightest.”

“What a treat to see if that’s the case.”

Lady squared her shoulders, making herself taller and pushed forward on him; placing her hands on his chest that soon traveled up to hold his face. Her lips inched closer to his and before they could touch, she stopped herself. “It’s best if you give me that advice now before I lose any more of my patience,” she said in a soft voice. 

“Hmph, very well,” he leaned back and crossed his arms. “You’ll be relieved to hear that Terra hasn’t completely fallen to darkness. A part of him is being illuminated with the light you gave him long ago, it’s the only thing keeping his original self sane.”

She was relieved, this was good to hear and it made her confident that the next time she saw Terra, she could reach out to him. “Thank you,” she bowed her head and turned to leave. 

“But,” he said and she stopped. “You’d best be careful. If you try to destroy the part of his heart that’s Xehanort, you might also destroy Terra’s in the process and you’ll lose him forever.” His words were severe and gave no reason to distrust it. “It will require.. a delicate touch.”

A gust of wind made her shut her eyes and she soon found herself alone in the darkness.

*******

Hovering on her palm was a mini figurine she constructed out of ice. It was that of a shapely woman with long silver hair braided down her back. “Shiva,” Lady greeted the small fairy in her palm and the miniature goddess returned her gesture in kind. It took some convincing for her to get her to take an even smaller form than she was. But this was purely so that she could contain her powers without hindrance. She didn’t need her room frozen over. 

Raising her hands at eye level, the miniature goddess observed her. “Why is my mother, a priestess of the Draconian, trying to kill the very thing she was set to worship?”

Shiva arose from her palm and rested upon Lady’s curled fingers. “Her family was wronged by the priesthood of Bahamut.” 

“How so?”

Crossing her legs, she looked as if she didn’t want to answer. “A priestess is not allowed pregnancies.”

“..So?”

“She was told to expel her child.”

Lady’s blood froze over. “What?” This was news to her. She never really knew the rules of what the higher-ups had to obey in temples, only the basics of their prayers and their songs and rites. But that didn’t seem ample enough to exact revenge on a god. “Why?” 

“Her mother.. Everything she does is for the daughter. The same can be said for the father.”

“What does that have to do with the vendetta against Bahamut?” _It doesn’t add up._

Shiva remained quiet for a bit before her icy gaze returned to her. “Does the lady know of the Final Summoning?” 

Her brows knitted together. _That’s reserved for only the most dire emergencies._ “A summoner chooses one of their guardians to become an aeon, a vessel for a god’s power.” By right, whoever the aeon was would be a god themselves! But this wasn’t a widely practiced ritual anymore, given the bloody nature of it. 

For whoever became an aeon, once they’ve completed the focus they were created for, would turn right right around and kill their summoner. Then shortly afterwards, the person who became the aeon would die. 

It was decreed that no mortal should be granted the power of a god, nor learn the secret of how to. And so this was the way it was, a fail safe for anyone who seeked this power. She knew her mother, along with those three, embarked on a journey to defeat Sin, an abomination that was created when the hubris of man became too great. It sought to destroy Spira as a form of ‘cleansing’ but, if left to its own devices, it would surely spread to other lands.

Then it clicked. The Final Summoning. Out of those four, only two should have come back. So then why-? 

A knock at the door made Lady whisper to Shiva. “Thank you, please don’t let them see you.” Nodding, the ice figurine of the goddess melted and became a small puddle of water which Lady quickly dried on her shirt. “Come in!” When the door opened, she saw a head of silver hair and she let out a sigh, “Sephiroth. What can I do for you?”

“I wanted to talk,” he said as the door clicked shut behind him, for good measure he locked it as well. 

“About?”

“Stop playing coy, you know what it’s about.”

She licked the layer of gums hanging onto her top layer of teeth. It still felt numb from earlier but she quickly waved that feeling away. “Sorry,” she mumbled, “I have a lot of my mind.” Motioning for him to sit next to her, he did and automatically he took her hand in his. “You three must be upset with me, huh?”

“Not so much,” he had a small smile. “Your mother explained to us how you felt.”

She huffed. “Great.”

“Had I known you were jealous-“

“Jealous?!” 

“Yes. Jealous.”

An image of her mom popped up in her head and she gritted her teeth, then the image of Maaye appeared and she relaxed. _Gods_. She was so foolish, one giant idiot. When she was silent and her stare seemed vacant, Sephiroth squeezed her hand tighter. “Do you really think so little of yourself? Of the value you have in my life?”

There was no point in hiding it any longer. She pondered over her answer as she twiddled her thumbs together. “I was jealous. For a bit. Because you three deserve more than what I can offer.”

“How many times do I have to tell you,” he seemed peeved, and rightfully so. Taking her face with his thumb grazing her cheek, he traced the outline of her face with his ever watchful eyes. “That you mean more to me than you’ll ever know.” He leaned in close with his voice a low whisper, “Do I have to prove it to you again?”

She looked up with a smirk tugging on her lips. “Don’t you have to go to Midgar?”

“To finally see what this is about, yes,” his silver hair fell over his shoulders, creating a curtain of soft silk between them. “Your mother seems concerned, it leads me to believe that we should be too.” His eyes gazed at her deeply, “You never told me your mother was a general.”

“Never thought it was important,” Lady muttered. “Besides, it’s not as if I knew much about that aspect of her life.” She added in that part but whispered it in a voice so quiet that even his enhanced hearing couldn’t make out the words. 

“It seems to be,” said Sephiroth. “I’ve spoken with her companions. They seem.. Friendly.”

“Hah, you should ask if you could spar with them. Then you’ll see just how friendly they are.”

“I’m sure Genesis wouldn’t mind a mock battle.”

“I bet he wouldn’t. But he shouldn’t underestimate them.”

“Hm, good luck telling him that.”

Leaning her head on his shoulder, she felt his arm wrap around her shoulder and held her close. “Will you come with us?” he asked. 

“I..” she thought about what Ansem had told her. Terra was coming. And she needed to be there to meet him. Rolling her head so that she could look at him, she smiled, “I’ll join up with everyone later. You guys go on ahead.”

“I’ll be expecting you,” he raised her hand to his lips and left a lasting kiss on it. “Don’t keep us waiting.” 

“Ah, wait!” She rushed to grab his arm before he could leave the room. When he gave her his full attention, she felt flustered under his focused gaze. “I, mmm.. Do you- do you still care about me even without-“

“Without Jenova’s cells?” He pulled her into an embrace. “How many times do I have to keep reminding you?” She avoided his eyes, ashamed at herself for ever doubting him. Sephiroth sighed and grabbed her by the waist to pull her closer. “Stop that,” he said firmly and she nodded. “We’ll see you in Midgar.”

*******

Namimé scribbled something on a blank piece of paper as Lady watched her. A few geometric shapes here, a few lines there, all of it clumping together to form what looked like a person. 

“Whatcha drawing there?” Lady teased, as she already knew the answer yet Namimé still held the sketch pad closer to her chest to conceal her drawing. 

“Not yet!” she pouted. “Don’t look. Not until I’m done. Now sit still!”

“Sheesh,” Lady put a hand over her heart. “So mean, and I thought you’d be happy to see me.”

“I am,” the girl moved her platinum blonde hair to one side of her face as her pale blue eyes scanned her subject. “That’s why I wanted to draw you.”

“I don’t think I make a good model for that.”

Namimé set down her notepad again and she saw that she began to fill out the proportions in her body. “You’re the perfect model, now I told you, hold still please!” 

Lady chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.” Resuming her pose of sitting down in front of the court of fountains, she turned her head to the side and let herself be immersed in the rushing waters that spilled from the topmost fountain. It separated into smaller fountains that soon formed a large one at the bottom. Moss and vines had twisted up its stone layers, their stalks and leaves glistening because of the constant splash of crystalline water that kept hitting it. It was peaceful here, and during her patrol of the town, Namimé cornered her and demanded to draw with her as her subject. With her determined eyes, Lady couldn’t turn her down and so here they were. 

A frustrated sigh caught Lady’s attention and she looked at the girl who tapped her chin with her graphite. The blue shawl wrapped around her shoulders moved and she failed to readjust it; Lady got up and walked over to catch it right before it fell, wrapping it tighter around her. 

“What’s wrong?” she asked the blonde. 

“Nothing, it’s just.. I suck at drawing creases in clothes.” Her cheeks puffed up in bitter contempt at her skill and Lady eased the drawing pad from her hands. 

“Let me see..” Lady began flipping through the sketches and found most to be doodles or full-on portraits. One contained Xion and Lauriam with their hair tied up in buns; another contained Roxas holding his two Keyblades; Ienzo reading a book, totally unaware that his likeness was being captured. The next one contained Elrena with her phone in her hand, her face had more of an ambiguous expression and she would’ve guessed that Namimé never got to finish her drawing before Elly got bored- or agitated. 

Turning to the next page, her brows furrowed together when she saw a drawing of a set of armor kneeling down with a Keyblade propped up in front of him. Made of bronze and gold, it was drawn perfectly and Lady brought it up to show Namimé. “This, do you know who this is?”

“It’s Terra, right?” Namimé’s pencil left a black mark on her pale skin from the amount of times she’s tapped it against herself. “I sometimes hear him, in the darkness.”

Lady wiped her chin, transferring the black graphite to her thumb. “And what does he say?”

“He..” she hesitated. “He calls for you, looking for you.”

“Even still..? Can’t you talk to him? Call him back home?”

“I can’t, what I’m talking to is only a fragment of him. This is what’s left of his will. His most personal and deepest thoughts and desires. Even now I can feel his rage.. rage from being tricked by Xehanort.”

“I see.”

“But, you know he doesn’t blame you. Not one bit.”

This relieved her. It was good to know that, yet the feeling of guilt still shadowed over her like a heavy fog. In the corner of her eye, she saw Ventus running from the castle with haste. He seemed to be following someone and that’s when she saw a tall young man with spiky brown hair and an outfit similar to Ventus’. Lady stood up immediately and moved to stand in front of Namimé before she could see- but it was too late. The girl’s pale blue eyes already widened at the sight. 

“Namimé, go back to the castle and stay inside. No matter what, do _not_ go outside,” she instructed her firmly.

“But-!” 

“Do as I say! Please!” 

“..Alright.” 

Lady watched as she held her sketchpad tightly against her chest and ran to the direction of the castle. At that point, she turned heel and followed Ventus. 

*******

Ventus panted, frantically looking around him until he spotted the brunet Keyblade Wielder. Following, he stopped when his figure came into full view and he approached with bated breath. 

“Terra,” he muttered as he walked closer. “Terra, is that you?”

The man he called Terra turned around, his blue eyes devoid of any light and glazed over. Before Ventus could approach him, Lady ran towards him and grabbed his arm. “Stop!” she cried, pulling him back. “That’s not Terra.”

“What?” Ventus tried pulling his arm away. “But he’s right there!” 

Lady let go of him, grabbing him by the cheeks and turning him towards Terra. “Look at him, Ven! You know better, that isn’t him anymore!” Ventus regarded Terra with less of a biased view and let out a pained sound. He only wanted his friend back. “Ven.. be careful,” she warned him. 

“We should get help,” Ventus muttered then closed his eyes, holding a closed fist to his chest as a light appeared. Then, in a flash of blue overhead, Aqua descended from the air, her glider disappearing as she landed delicately on her feet. “Aqua!” Ventus started towards his friend but got blocked off as a large dome barrier formed around the perimeter of Terra and Aqua. 

“Stay back!” she reprimanded him and turned her attention back to Terra, her Keyblade brandishing in her hand. “As for you, let my friend go!” 

The stoic look on Terra’s face disappeared and replaced by a small smile as gold encompassed the blue of his eyes. “Or else what?” he challenged as his hair turned white at the edges and traveled upwards to his roots. At the sight of this, Lady bit down on her lip and she felt ice hold her feet down to the ground. But when she checked to see, she only realized it was her unwillingness to move that planted her there. 

“Terra!” Ventus banged on the barrier, its hexagonal shapes sponging in the impact before disappearing. “Aqua let me help! He’s my friend too!” The blue-haired Keyblade Master ignored his pleas and focused her blue eyes on Terra. 

“I’m only here for one thing,” Terra announced, his eyes slowly resting on Lady. 

“I’m not letting that happen,” Aqua raised her hand as orbs of water spurted forth from her palm and jutted out to their target. Terra jumped back, blocking it easily with a fire spell of his own, conjured as quickly as he did his Keyblade which he sent flying towards her. She was quick on her feet as she sidestepped a projectile while spinning around another. When the last came from above, she bent her body backwards and executed a backflip, landing on her feet with the grace of a circus performer. “Terra, if you’re in there,” she grimaced as her Keyblade hummed with power. “Fight back!”

“Terra’s heart has been extinguished,” he cackled. “Smothered by the darkness within him!” 

“No,” Lady shook her head and slammed her hands against the barrier. “Aqua! He’s lying! Terra’s still in there, you have to help him!” 

Aqua was swift on her feet, dodging Terra’s powerful hits and strikes. Just on their size difference alone, she knew if he landed a hit on her, it wouldn’t be pretty; but her speed gave her an edge over his strength and was made clear as she cartwheeled away, leaving flames in her wake as he did his best to stave off the flames that licked him. His Keyblade that struck the ground left lasting impressions as the ground was crushed beneath the teeth of his dark blade, its ever watchful eye beset in the handle constantly watching Lady even as it moved all around the battlefield. 

It sent shivers up her arms. Something about it seemed unnatural. And very old. 

While Ventus and her could do nothing but watch the two Keyblade Masters duel, Lady watched Terra’s movements. They were different than how he used to fight, more savage and violent, with most of his attacks focused on hurting his opponent as opposed to the knight in shining armor that he used to be; protecting those weaker than him, even if himself was hurt. It pained her to see him like this, to see him reduced to nothing but a violent madman. 

Aqua let out a pained grunt as Terra landed a devastating combo that sent her flying back towards her barrier and knocking the breath out of her. She gasped for air and tried her best to roll away just as he ran over and kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying back once more and skidded against the stone floor. 

“Terra, stop that!!” Ventus’ own howls matched the inner turmoil that Lady felt inside, even more so when Terra picked up Aqua by her throat. His arms flexing as he squeezed tighter and with one glance at their direction, flung her at the barrier. It cracked underneath the force of his throw combined with her weight and Aqua slumped against it as she coughed and grasped at her throat. “Aqua, let us help you!” he pleaded with her and even when Aqua staggered up, using her Keyblade as a crutch she shook her head. 

“No,” her voice was raspy, no doubt to the fact that her larynx had suffered under Terra’s strong grip. “Ven.. you stay back.. Not-” she coughed, “-not letting the darkness get you too.”

“Aqua,” Lady’s voice was firm. “I’m not letting you fight alone.” With her palms flat against her barrier, she formed a hole in it that was big enough to allow both her and Ventus inside. As soon as it was open, Ventus ran in and flashed his Keyblade while Lady knelt by Aqua and healed her. “We’re with you,” she said as she helped the Keyblade Master up. 

“Thanks,” Aqua nodded her head, grateful for the assist. Together, her and Ven held their weapons as they stood in front of Lady. 

Terra stood still, gripping his Keyblade firmly in one hand while his other raised towards them. “Come with me,” he looked straight through the two and directly at Lady. “And we can cease this fighting.” 

“I never wanted to hurt you,” Lady said aloud. “Even now I still don’t want to hurt you. I want to apologize,” she gulped. “Because of how much you suffered in the dark.” 

“Suffer?” he quirked his eyebrow in genuine confusion. “I haven’t suffered anything,” he held his head as a laugh escaped his throat. “I’m stronger than I’ve ever been!” A wicked smile twisted on his lips, “With this power, I can protect you even better. Isn’t that what I promised you?”

“Enough!” Aqua gritted her teeth. “You’re not the friend we once knew.”

Shaking his head, Terra got into his fighting stance. “If you don’t come with me out of free will, then I will have to force you.” Chains of darkness erupted from the tip of his Keyblade and aimed to grab them; Aqua jumped out of the way as Ventus turned around and lifted Lady in his arms as the two of them moved from the chain's reach. 

“Stop worrying about me,” Lady chided Ventus. “I can handle myself- go help Aqua!” Ven nodded, embarrassed, then left to run beside Aqua as she swung at Terra. Lady held her hand to her chest, circling the cool blue mark before she lifted a hand. Focusing her energy as she tried to pinpoint the spot where Terra would step next. Right foot headed back, left leg poised and ready to dodge, right foot bent again to support his hit.. There! 

Lady summoned a block of ice that completely immobilized him, holding his feet down to the ground. Aqua and Ventus took this moment to strike him together but it was still not enough. Darkness seeped from his body, coming forth in billows of smoke that imbued him with power. When Aqua’s blade almost landed on him, he grabbed it with his bare hand while his other hand holding his weapon struck Ventus in the stomach as he neared. Ventus was sent back, colliding onto the ground with a huge grunt. Aqua on the other hand, tried to pry her weapon away just as Terra yanked it from her, hitting her on the nose with the handle. 

Through watery eyes, Aqua tried to get back up to still take advantage of the fact that he was still frozen in place. Terra looked at his placeholder constructed with ice as more of the darkness seeped from him. His back hunched over and he growled as an explosion of black smoke came from him to form a large black creature. With two horn-like extensions coming from its head and a large torso with a cavity where its heart should be, it exuded maliciousness in the purest of forms. Bandages prevented the beast from opening its mouth fully, but she could see the deep-set fangs just below and she imagined it could easily rip through flesh. 

Its hulking arms snatched Aqua and slammed her onto the ground while a dark chain slithered on the ground towards Ventus. It wrapped around his ankle and dragged him across the ground; holding him up by his leg as he dangled in front of Terra while Aqua tried to push against the dark creature who effortlessly shoved her back down. Lady wanted to move, she did. But when those golden eyes glared at her from before, she felt fear immobilize her. 

_Damn it, why can’t I move?_ She cursed, pinched herself, bit her lip till she tasted blood. But only images of Terra holding her down against the bed, against her will, came to mind. His maniacal laughter mixed with her screams and cries telling him to stop echoed in her mind. Though she wasn’t completely herself then, the memories were still now. And they surfaced in perfect clarity even now. 

Terra extended his hand towards her again. “Come with me,” he said. “And I’ll let go of these two.” Ventus’ was dangling loosely from a chain, mumbling something incoherent as Aqua was being held down by the back of her head. 

With her hand summoning her sword, she readied for his attack and just as the chain lunged at her, a bright light filled the courtyard. So bright that Lady squinted and covered her eyes and when it died down, she saw an imposing figure standing protectively in front of her. A figure made of bronze armor with a cape flowing behind him. 

There was movement under the cape and Lady saw Namimé step out, holding the cape up with the back of her hand with a large smile on her face. “We made it just in time!” she said as the armor looked back at Lady, her face reflected on the visor of his helm. Beyond his shoulder, she could see Terra make ready to launch another attack at her and she tugged on Namimé to hide behind her. Another flurry of dark chains flew towards them and when Lady prepared a barrier, she felt an arm wrap around her, pulling her close as a forcefield of light protected both her and Namimé. 

Lady blinked, looking up to her left to see the armor protecting her and her lips parted in surprise as Namimé’s words rang in her ear. _This is what’s left of his will. His most personal and deepest thoughts and desires. Even now I can feel his rage.. rage from being tricked by Xehanort._ This armor was Terra even if the inside was hollow. Vestiges of his lingering will. 

The armor moved, a Keyblade forming in his hand that was pure white. It sang with power as orbs of light trailed up and down it’s shaft towards the teeth that formed a half-heart. On the handle was a charm that was secured by a silver chain; it was a white heather set deep into a clear resin held by a gold and brass frame. Her heart wavered. It was the charm she gave him long ago, the white heather translated to protection and a fulfillment of a promise or dream. He still kept it with him, after all this time.

“How I’ve waited,” the armor echoed Terra’s voice, calm and not showing a single sign of emotion. “For this moment.”

Rushing towards him, streaks of light released both Aqua and Ventus as Terra’s will collided with his stolen body. “Got you, Xehanort.”

Both of them dueled, blades clashing together loudly as light surrounded their bodies; a dark aura collided with one that glowed a warm orange. Lady immediately ran towards Aqua as Namimé made a break towards Ventus. Together, they pulled them close to each other as Lady immediately began applying first aid. As a cure spell conjured up in her hands, Lady watched as Terra fought back for his body with unquestionable skill. They were both Terra and it made all the more difficult for her to process just how she could help them. 

One contained Terra’s body, while the other contained his mind. All in all, it would be bad if either of them were injured. She remembered Ansem’s words, on how this situation would require ‘a delicate touch’. To either damage his mind or his body, this must be what he meant. 

“Namimé,” Lady said just as she finished uttering a chant that healed the two Keyblade Wielders. Aqua’s neck had bruises that were almost a deeper blue than her hair while Ventus seemed to struggle staying awake as his consciousness kept flitting in and out of her body. “Can you watch these two?”

Namimé appeared bewildered. “Where are you going?” 

“Whoever gets hurt,” Lady said as she watched the two fight. “It’ll be bad for Terra. I need to stop both of them before that happens.”

In a stroke of luck, Lady watched as Terra’s possessed body opened up a corridor behind him and jumped through with the armor following him through without hesitation. _Steel yourself_ , she inhaled deeply. _Face your fear._ Getting up, she left Namimé to watch the two just as she herself jumped through the corridor. 

*******

Following the clashing of blades, Lady ran through the darkness until it got louder. From beyond the opening of the corridor, she could see two figures pushing back against each other- both at equal skill. What mattered most to her was how she could possibly isolate the two of them? It seemed impossible, because of the way both of them wanted nothing but to destroy each other.

A gust of wind kicked up dirt in her face and she covered her face so as to not let the grit get into her eyes. When she lowered them, she saw a vast wasteland with towering plateaus and mountains that were just as bleak as the terracotta colored ground. All around her, she saw grey roots sticking out of the mountain and she thought it odd until upon closer inspection, she saw that they weren’t roots- but keyblades. 

Littered and discarded all around her were a plethora of keyblades, all of them grayed and dull; lifeless with color as they decorated this wasteland. Was this some sort of graveyard? She shivered at the thought of how many people died with their keyblades being the last thing that remained of them before disintegrating completely. She wanted to know what they fought for, but that wasn’t her focus right now. It was on those two that fought for dominance. 

“As long as Master Xehanort resides within you,” the suit of armor moved toward the other with his white blade glowing brightly. “You remain a threat to Aqua, Ven, and Lady.”

“How is that you’re still here?” Terra-Xehanort snarled. “The remnants of your light should’ve been snuffed out.” When he summoned that dark creature again, Lady ran towards them and erected a barrier that blocked off the monster’s attack. “How endearing of you to come to me of your own will,” he smirked and she sent a flurry of ice that immediately sent him back. 

“Shut the hell up,” she growled as she blocked a punch by the dark creature that was conjured. Only now did she see what her mother was talking about earlier about moving too obviously. This monster, this thing, moved out of base instinct- and she could use that to her advantage. “Terra,” she made it clear she addressed the armor, “help me fight him.”

Even without her prompting him to, he leapt into action as the dark creature grabbed her by the waist and held her in a crushing grip. She struggled against it and saw that it held her closer to get a better look. Deep in its yellow eyes, she could see a sentient light that beckoned her. _What is this thing?_ She peered down at the heart-shaped cavity in its chest and deemed it a Heartless. But somehow it was different from the other’s she fought before.

Focusing her breath, a ring of fire was released around her and forced the dark entity to let her go. As it did, she found the solid ground beneath her to sink below her feet and she saw a vortex of darkness suck in her body quickly. Cursing to herself, she tried to get out as Terra’s Lingering Will saw her in trouble and immediately abandoned his fight to run towards her. 

“No!” She shouted. “Stay back!”

He didn’t listen and earned his just deserts as the dark entity grabbed him by his helmet, taking advantage of the fact that he was distracted with helping her. She heard the metal creaking underneath the entity’s tight grip and she summoned her sword; stabbing the ground that was out of the vortex’s reach and hauling herself up- thought it felt like pulling against a vacuum. 

Terra-Xehanort appeared in front of his shadowy guardian and moved his blade to strike at the armor struggling to be free of his grip. When Lady rushed him, she clashed sword to keyblade as she pushed back against him. Though with the combined force of the entity’s other fist colliding with her face and his blade cutting against her abdomen, they pushed her aside and she slid away on her back painfully. Before she could get up, she saw both him and his guardian turn their full attention towards her and she made ready to defend herself. 

The entity disappeared into the ground, soon followed up by a bubbling noise behind her. As she turned, the entity appeared again and grabbed her with both hands. Snuffing out any movement of her body as he squeezed her so tightly that she felt that her bones might break. 

Through the corner of her eye, she could see Terra-Xehanort run towards her and she gritted her teeth, awaiting the impact.

As the tip of his Keyblade inched closer, her vision was blocked off as Terra’s armor moved in front of her- and received the full blow of the hit. 

Lady watched as the armor crumpled into the ground, clattering onto the ground in a dull thud and becoming lifeless. A small, weak, orb of light shot forth from the remains and towards the dark entity. Seemingly, in a stroke of sympathy, the entity behind soon released her and returned back to his master’s side as she scrambled towards the broken pieces to pick up the helmet. Closing her eyes as an agitated gasp left her lips, she brought the helmet to her forehead and allowed herself to mourn the loss. 

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I failed you. _Again._ ”

Her lamentations were cut short as the solid helm between her hands became transparent and turned into light that escaped through her fingers. Soon, there was nothing left of his armor, just empty ground where he once was. The only thing that was here now was Terra- no, Xehanort, whoever the fuck was controlling his body right now. What once was despair at seeing what was left of his mind being destroyed turned into a dull roar of rage that grew hotter by the second. 

“He’s gone,” he said. “Now, what will you do?”

“What will I do?” she repeated then let out a small laugh that was devoid of joy. Her eyes were turned downwards but when she looked up, he saw that they were glowing a vivid purple and her pupils were dilated into slits like a cats’. “I wanted to do this without harming you,” she admitted, standing up slowly. “But it seems like I’ve no other choice.”

Terra looked up as he felt something soft touch his nose; looking up, he saw white flakes descend from the once clear sky that was now heavy with clouds. The arid wasteland became flush with ice as it surrounded her in a swirl of white. Through the storm, he could see her eyes, glowing purple with contempt. 

“So,” he shouted through the winds. “Jenova still has a hold of you.”

“No,” Lady picked up the Keyblade that was left behind. “Whatever power Jenova had-” silver armor began coating her torso and legs, covering her like a blanket of snow, “-it’s mine now.”

Brandishing her blade as white wings appeared behind her, she launched herself up in the air as swords of light appeared in a circle around her.

A flare of prismatic pillars surrounded Terra and his guardian, the two of them watching as her swords came into contact with the pillars and set off a chain reaction as a ray of light descended upon them in white fury. It’s purpose was simple, to eradicate any traces of defenses within her foes. When she descended from the sky with her Keyblade held tightly in her hand, she met his blade as white and black sparks erupted from their meeting.

“You’ll release him,” she said, her eyes glowing wildly. “Even if I have to rip the darkness out of you!” When she shoved him back with a parry; a spark caught her attention, flashing from the resin-coated flower at the handle. Her Keyblade shook in her hand and aimed itself for her, not at Terra, but his guardian. A similar light emanated deep in the chest of said creature and she felt some type of force lift her hand as a beam of light shot forth and hit the guardian directly where his heart would be. 

It seemed surprised at first but gave in and Lady watched as it moved its hand up to its mouth, trying to pry the binds that held it shut. From deep within, she could hear a voice that sounded human. “La….dy..” it growled, trying to make out the words despite its teeth and tongue blocking most of its speech. “No..w!”

More of the light spurted forth and she watched as it made the shadows of the large creature evaporate until a glowing orb appeared in its place. Terra seemed unnerved by this and when he tried to run, a cradle of ice froze him to his place. The glowing orb hovered in place before it zoomed towards Terra, hitting him directly in the chest and fought against the dark force that pushed it back. Aiming her Keyblade at his chest, she let another beam hit him and opened up a pathway for the light to enter him. She then watched as the magic dispersed and Terra was left standing with his hand over his heart, as if he was in pain. 

The shadows that gathered over him fell around him in sickly clumps and formed a puddle. She watched as it turned the ground more malleable and Terra, whose white hair turned back to a deep brown and golden eyes returned back to blue, sank into it slowly. Lady didn’t waste another minute and bolted across the grounds towards him, diving deep into the darkness just as it swallowed him up alongside her.

*******

_A little girl came home with cuts on her legs and bruises on her arms. The tears running down her face mixed with the blood of her broken lip and she did her best to run home with the limped gait that she had. When she entered the wisteria forest that surrounded her home, she tried to calm down her incessant crying so that it wouldn’t be heard._

_“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” The girl froze as a woman in a black kimono approached her, strands of her silken hair framed her lovely face as she knelt down in front of her. “What happened to you?”_

_“Mommy,” her eyes were set in wonder and temporarily forgot about the pain she felt. She hadn’t seen her mother in days and now she was here. The girl wanted to throw her hands around her neck but was scared to, she didn’t want to crinkle up the beautiful kimono her mom wore. “It’s nothing.. I.. fell.”_

_Onna made a face of disbelief and tenderly turned her daughter around to see her back where bruises blossomed under her skin that were the size of a fist. Her eyes flashed red with anger but calmed herself down before turning her back around to face her. Wiping the tears from her daughter’s small face, she smiled. “You can tell me the truth, my little flower. Who hurt you?”_

_Her daughter hesitated visibly before spewing out a reluctant answer. “They.. the kids got mad when I showed them something.”_

_“And what did you show them?”_

_Holding out her hands, she showed her mom as she whispered a few words and a fire sparked out. Blooming and twisting around her fingers and palm but not harming her in any way. Nearby, a bush’s leaves sparkled with a sheet of ice even if they were in the midst of summer on an island; and in the distance, clouds began rolling in, dark as night and loud as a chorus. It was a sunny day prior to them appearing, with naught a wisp in the sky, yet now it looked as if a storm was approaching._

_  
_ _Onna looked at all of these unnatural concerns and quickly covered her daughter’s hands with hers, dissipating the flame that slithered around her arms like vines. When the clouds rescinded and the frost disappeared from the brushes, her daughter’s eyes had their light returned to them and she smiled a wide smile._

_“Did you see?!” she asked excitedly and despite Onna’s worried expression, she nodded firmly._

_“Yes, my love.. I saw.”_

_“Well, well, if it isn’t my two favorite girls in the whole wide world!”_

_The girl gasped loudly and ran towards the man who emerged from the forest. His sleeves rolled up to his shoulders as he had his hair swept back. “Daddy!!” she ran to him with open arms and the man immediately dropped the axe in his hands as he swung her around before holding her up in the air._

_“There’s my baby girl,” his laugh rang out; a boisterous, joyful sound. When Onna approached him, he grinned. “There’s my other baby girl. You should’ve told me you were coming home earlier, I would’ve started cooking sooner!”_

_Onna placed a touching hand on his cheek and planted a firm kiss on his lips, leaving a red mark from her lipstick. “I’m fine with waiting, my love. Thank you.”_

_“Ewww, don’t kiss in front of me,” their daughter whined and she squealed louder when her father hugged her tighter. “Daddy, you smell!”_

_“Aw, come on,” he gasped with mock hurt. “I was chopping wood, of course I’m gonna stink!” His joyful mood was cut short when he noticed the cut on her daughter’s lips and the bruises on her arms. He gave Onna a concerned look and she in return shook her head slightly. Understanding, he patted his little girl’s head. “Let’s go then, bet you’re hungry huh?”_

_“Suuuper hungry,” she groaned loudly. “Can you make cake too? Chocolate pleaseee!”_

_“Oh of course, Your Highness!” He pinches her nose and then turned to Onna, “How about you, my queen? What would Her Majesty like for dessert?”_

_“Both of you look good enough to eat up,” she chuckled. “Come now, let’s go.” When they walked back to their home, Onna cast one look over her shoulder; scanning the horizon for anyone who aimed to follow then erected a barrier around the perimeter of their forest._

_***_

_“Are you sure you saw?”_

_“I was there. She displayed magic, as easy for her as it is to breathe.”_

_“...And the villagers thought it was okay to hurt a child just because she made little fireworks go off?.. Those bastards, I’m going tomorrow and-“_

_“And nothing! It hurts me as well, but you’ll only make the situation worse, we must be careful. I hoped it wouldn’t have to come to this..”_

_The little girl turned restlessly in her sleep and blinked when she saw both her mother and father sitting beside her on her bed._

_“Mommy? Daddy? What’s going on?”_

_“Nothing dearest,” Onna stroked her cheek and laid her head back onto the pillow. “Go back to sleep.”_

_“I can’t,” she shook her head. “Can you tell me a story??”_

_“What story, dearest?”_

_“About the butterfly and the dragon,” she said and Onna felt her husband’s nervous eyes land on her._

_“I will,” Onna replied sweetly. “If you promise to try and sleep.”_

_“But every time I do, I never get to hear the ending!” She whined._

_“I’ll tell you the ending one day,” was her response and her daughter relented, snuggling deep into her blankets. “There was once a butterfly who made a home in a beautiful garden made of wisteria blossoms..”_

_“Like ours?”_

_“Like ours,” Onna nodded and smiled at her daughter’s curiosity, despite hearing this story over and over. “She wanted to protect it from a fearsome dragon who wanted to destroy everything she's built.. everything she loved…”_

_It didn’t take long for the girl to fall asleep, and Onna placed a hand on her forehead as a green light emitted from her palm. It slowly healed all cuts and bruises, turning them paler and paler until it was no longer visible. Then, when she made sure her daughter was completely asleep, Onna placed a finger directly over her heart and whispered words from a language not commonly used. Before her daughter drifted into sleep completely, she could hear her mother’s chanting that she confused with a sweet lullaby._

_Her last words pulled her deeper and deeper into a dream before a seal was placed on her chest that glowed a bright red before sinking into her skin, never to be seen again unless brought up by the same person who placed it there. A magical seal that inhibited her power, for fear of ever being found out._

*******

Lady awoke with a gasp and for a second, she thought her eyes were still shut for darkness filled her vision everytime she blinked. Thick black fluid entered her lungs everytime she breathed and she felt as if she was underwater in a deep, deep abyss. 

In her arms, she still had her arms wrapped tightly around Terra as she struggled to keep them both afloat. Black sludge weighed down her wings as she kicked her feet up in a desperate attempt to bring themselves up. He was heavy, and the guck covering her wings weighed her down even more. Taking a moment to rest her aching legs, she put a hand on Terra’s face and shook him. She couldn’t speak otherwise she would call his name. 

Putting a hand over his chest, she was relieved to feel that he still had a heartbeat, even if it was faint. Looking all around them, she saw nothing but the empty void. How long had they been there? She blinked. How long had she been dreaming? It didn’t matter. They needed to get out of here, _and fast_. 

In one hand that she had on his back, she still had the Keyblade gripped with her fingers and it felt warm, warmer than the cold shadows they dived into. Holding it up, she watched as it formed a circle in the distance; opening up a way back home. Stretching her wings as wide as she could, she floated upwards towards the light- holding onto Terra as tightly as she could. She thought she was making good progress, until dark tendrils wrapped around her ankles and she felt as if she was pulled down. 

Biting down on her lip, she struggled against the binds but found it difficult to keep herself as well as him upright. Taking the Keyblade, she wrapped his hands around it and sent him forth; the light carrying him upwards to safety as she struggled to fend off whatever was dragging her deeper and deeper into the abyss. 

*******

Namimé looked up as a portal opened up from the ground and seemingly coughed out an unconscious Terra. Both Aqua and Ventus, who were now recovered, saw him and immediately ran to him. Aqua shook Terra by the shoulders and the Keyblade Master slowly opened his eyes as he squinted at the light from the sun. 

“Terra?” Ventus leaned over. “Is it really you?” 

Terra blinked and sat up with his help, rubbing his eyes as if he just awoke from a long dream. He curled his fingers to check if he had full motor functions and looked between his friends. When he realized where he was and who it was in front of him, he took them both in a tight hug as the two responded in kind. 

“I’m so glad you’re safe,” Aqua leaned her head on his shoulder, holding her neck that was recovering from the bruising. 

“I’m back..” Terra didn’t believe his own words. “I’m really back..!”

Namimé was relieved to see them safe then looked around for the person that should’ve appeared next. When she didn’t, Namimé began to worry. “Where’s Lady?” she tried to hide the franticness in her voice. Terra’s head snapped up at the mention of her and he looked back at the portal that began closing up. Getting up, he ran towards it to make a dive when Aqua held him back. 

“What are you doing?!” she asked. 

“Lady’s still in there!” he yelled out, struggling against her grip. He turned back around and saw a hand emerge from the murky black that was followed by an arm, shoulder, then a head. 

Gasping for air, Lady hauled herself out, her wings giving her the final push she needed to roll out onto the ground. Her body, armor, and feathers were covered by a black oily substance that dissipated when the light hit them. From the ground, she saw that Terra was standing there along with Aqua and Ventus and proceeded to smile weakly. 

“There you are,” she wheezed out, feeling the remnants of the tar-like fluid exit her lungs. Terra ran to her, falling to his knees and scooping her up in his arms. A tear stained her face and she looked up as it ran from his blue eyes that were filled with relief. Relief of being home, of being in the light once more, and of course, relief of seeing her after all this time. Raising a hand to wipe the falling drops, she grinned. “You big dummy, don’t do anything like that ever again.”

He shook his head and hugged her tighter, a laugh rumbling in his chest. “You’re one to talk.”


	14. XIV

Onna’s steps echoed down the polished black marble floor of the Citadel. She passed by elaborate paintings depicting a part of Lucian history, dating back all the way to the founding. She stopped at one that depicted the Founder King, the man who created the Lucian empire as it is today. Somnus Lucis Caelum. Her observant eyes glanced down and saw scribbling that was etched just below the lower left corner, and appeared to be covered up hastily just after it was conceived. But she could still make out the words, despite the efforts of whoever tried to paint over it. It read: ’Noctis was here.’

It was written in a scribble that suggested it belonged to a child and the fact made Onna smile to herself as she continued down the hallway where she soon saw an older man with cropped graying hair and tired eyes. “Cor,” she bowed her head when he came closer. 

“My lady,” he nodded in return. 

“Was I wrong or did I see guests come into the Citadel today? With a large escort, no less.”

“You saw correct.” 

“I see.” 

She turned her gaze out to the window to see Insomnia from across the perimeter of water that blocked off the Citadel from the rest of the city. 

“I haven’t had the time to properly thank you for helping with our soldiers the other day,” Cor continued. 

“Oh please, thanks aren’t necessary, I do what I can,” she smiled sweetly. 

“There was someone that wanted to see you though, one of the ones that arrived this morning.”

This piqued her interest at who would request an audience with her when royalty was present. “Who?”

*******

Gladio and Noctis both stood next to each other, casually giving each other a side-eye; and when Noctis returned his gaze in front of him, he was met with a scalding glare from Ravus and a kindly smile from Luna, which in turn made Ravus’ glare even more scathing. Noctis cleared his throat while Gladio tucked his arms together. The two siblings from Tenebrae had arrived just this morning, a so-called visit before they made their way to Altissia to see business there. Luna insisted they stopped by Insomnia and that idea was met with much resistance at first before he finally stopped resisting and let Luna do as she wished. 

“So,” Noctis cleared his throat again, feeling as if something was stuck there but it was only his lack of motivation to speak. “It’s good to see you guys..?” When Ravus peered down at Noctis, all further attempts to continue conversation ceased and when the door to the parlor room opened, he thanked whatever god that could hear him. 

Luna immediately stood up as Onna walked through the door with her arms folded within the sleeves that trailed down beside her white kimono. When Onna saw Luna, she smiled. “I’m honored that the Oracle of Tenebrae would personally request my presence. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“The pleasure is mine,” Luna bowed her head, her arms extending out before coming back towards her in circling motion. Her hands then bent slightly, holding one over the other to appear as if she was holding an orb before bowing completely. “I’ve heard so much about you, High Priestess.”

With a twinkle in her eye, Onna returned the gesture; the motions fluid and graceful, obviously second nature to her since it was the salute reserved for the exalted in the Spiran Council. “It’s been some time since someone has greeted me with that, I appreciate it. Though, I don’t use that title anymore.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Luna seemed flustered. 

“It’s alright, a simple mistake,” smiled Onna, her eyes reassuring the young woman. “What can I help you with?” When she looked over the top of Luna’s head, she saw Ravus peering down at her with curious eyes. Her eyebrow quirked and prompted him to voice his unsaid question. 

“Permit me to interrupt,” said Ravus. “But someone with your likeness jumped off the train the other day.” His blunt and tactless response stunned the room, especially Onna. 

Placing a hand on her head, she closed her eyes and shook her head. “That girl..” she allowed herself resignation in the form of a huff. “So reckless. She’ll surely get herself killed again.”

This had Luna concerned. “Did you say ‘again’?” 

“It’s nothing, please excuse my daughter’s rash behavior,” her lips were in a tight line that strained to smile. 

“Your daughter..? Oh!” Luna put her hands together when she realized. “No wonder, her resemblance to you is uncanny!”

“I’ve been told, but for me she looks more like my husband,” her hands wrapped tightly until her knuckles grew white.

“So.. where is her dad?” Gladio spoke next and was met with Onna’s piercing eyes. 

“Dead. And has been for quite some time.”

Gladio averted his eyes, scratching the back of his head and suddenly taking interest with the scuff on his leather shoe. Noctis and Luna seemed unsettled yet Ravus remained calm- as he should. For he knew this already.

“Lady doesn’t talk much about herself,” Noctis admitted. “And even if she does tell us about something that’s bothering her, she kinda does stuff to fix it herself.”

“I know,” said Onna. “Stubborn child.”

“Wonder where she gets it from,” Gladio mused, hoping to redeem himself and he was satisfied when she had an approving smirk appear on her painted red lips. 

“Before I forget,” Onna turned to Luna again. “I’ve heard rumors that Leviathan still sleeps beneath the waves in Altissia, is that correct?”

Luna pondered her thoughts carefully.“I believe so, why?”

“Oh nothing, mere curiosity.”

*******

The smell of rusted metal and rush of mako flowing between the pipes entered her lungs. There was no fresh wind here nor grass or any sort of fresh foliage. Streets were dimly lit by the neon lights that flashed constantly and warranted a headache. Even the dirt underneath felt dead, with no promise of holding seeds to foster new life.

Midgar hadn’t changed. 

Stopping, she looked up at the large plate that covered the sector, she blew out a stream of air that moved a strand of her hair up with it. But she supposed she hadn’t changed much either. 

Perched on the column holding up said plate, she could see everyone milling about below. Appearing like ants due to the size that she saw them as; ants going around a neon-lit colony. When she spotted a two-story building with the sign ‘Seventh Heaven’ on it and focused on the gaping hole that was on the roof. She jumped forth as her wings guided her down and through the hole; landing deftly on her feet with her knees bent to stabilize her weight. 

Tifa dropped the glass she was wiping and let out a surprised yelp, when she saw who it was, she put her hands on her hip. “You could’ve used the door!” 

“Sorry,” Lady chuckled. “Couldn’t help myself.” 

“At least take your helmet off, you’re going to scare Marlene!” 

“Who?”

To answer her question, a little girl walked descended from the stairs. Her large brown eyes peered curiously from the shadows and when Lady made eye contact with her, she darted from the bottom stair and behind Tifa. She presumed this little girl was Marlene. 

Lady took off her helmet and Marlene watched in amazement as it turned into nothing but sparkling drops of light, followed by the rest of her armor that disappeared to create a small show of glimmering luminescence in the bar. Marlene stepped out, captivated by the little lights that she thought were fairies. She held her hand out and caught one before watching it disappear and a wide smile happened upon her face. 

Any previous doubt or caution was thrown to the wind as Marlene ran towards Lady with sparkles shining in her eyes. “Are you a princess?!” she practically squealed. 

“No, I-”

“Do you have a sword?” Marlene couldn’t stand still, constantly circling her. “A magical one? Did you have wings too?”

“Yes, and yes.”

The little one covered her mouth when she gasped. “Then you really are a princess.”

Lady wanted to laugh but didn't do so in front of her. “I don’t think that’s how it wor-”

“Ahem!” Tifa waved at her to stop and motioned her to come closer as she pulled out a comic book from below the bar. On the front, it contained a picture of a woman with an almost translucent mini-skirt and short-sleeved blouse fixated with a large bow and heart-shaped ornaments; on the woman’s forehead it was a pale yellow crescent moon and her flowing long hair mixed in with white angel wings behind her back. Tifa gave her a pointed look and Lady blinked. 

“I could sue them for copyright,” she said seriously then added in a laugh when Tifa’s look increased in intensity. “Kidding.” 

“Marlene,” Tifa smiled and handed the little girl the comic. “Why don’t you take this and play upstairs?” 

Marlene held the comic book tightly in her arms and got on her tippy-toes to whisper in Tifa’s ear, but she did it so loudly that even Lady could hear it. “Will the Lunar Princess come too?” 

Lady raised an eyebrow at Tifa and mouthed the words ‘who?’ And when Tifa pointed at the comic book in her hands, she then nodded and mouthed ‘ah’. 

“She’s busy, but maybe she’ll tell you a story later!” Tifa assured her and Marlene never took her eyes off of Lady. 

“Wait!” she hopped up on a barstool beside her. “Do you.. Do you know any princes?”

“Prince?” Lady made a show of tapping her chin with a single finger before holding up two. “I know two princes.”

“Really?! What are they like?? I wanna knooow!”

“Well,” she thought about them thoroughly before providing her with any descriptions. “One wears black, and he sleeps a lot too. He’s a huge geek for video games and he’s kinda socially awkward which I guess is cute in an endearing way.”

“Oh.” The look of disappointment on her face was enough to want to send Lady over the edge with laughter. “What about the other one?”

“Hm.. The other one I don’t know so well. He’s tall, handsome, doesn’t talk much- can also look really mean. Wears a lot of white that matches his hair.”

“Oh!” She seemed more excited to hear about this one. “Did he por-pr-” she tried to find the word then finally came to her conclusion,”-propose to you? Carry you off to a big castle?”

“No,” Lady laughed. “He did carry me in his arms for a bit when I crash landed into his sister’s garden though.” 

“Alright I think that’s enough,” Tifa picked up Marlene effortlessly with an arm and lifted her off the stool. “Ask her more later alright? Now we have, er, ‘adult’ things to talk about.”

Marlene pouted and huffed. “Okay..” 

When her body disappeared up the stairs, Tifa went around the bar again and pointed at the many bottles that lined the shelves. “Fix you a drink?” 

“Know how to make an espresso martini?” 

“We’re not that type of bar.”

“Fine. Whiskey, straight up.”

“Ice?”

“Two, please.”

“Need a chaser?”

“Who do you think I am?”

Tifa nodded and got around to execute the order, which didn’t take long as it was exceedingly simple. Once done, she slid over the glass to Lady who caught it with one hand. Whiskey with two blocks of ice, no chaser, just how she liked it. Tipping the glass to her lips, she tilted her head back and let gravity pull the burning liquid down her throat as she set the glass down with enough force to make a small clapping noise. A compliment to the barkeep. 

The doors opened behind her and she heard a familiar voice that was all too jovial. 

“Tiffaaa, how’s it goin?”

She smiled at the direction of the door and took Lady’s glass to refill it for her. Lady didn’t need to turn around to see who it was. The person who walked through the door had a confident quality about his voice as well as the way he strode across the bar with only a few steps. That person took up the space next to Lady and from her peripherals she could see a shocking head of bright red hair spiked up haphazardly in multiple directions with a long ponytail tied down his back. He bore a striking resemblance to Lea, she kept asking them before if they weren’t estranged brothers. 

“Well, well,” Lady caught the other glass that Tifa slid down towards her. “If it isn’t my _favorite_ Turk.” She turned to the redhead. “Hello, Reno, been a while.”

Reno took his time looking at her. Obviously surprised at her presence here. “You’re alive?”

_Rather underwhelming, but alright._ “Yep. I’m alive.”

He pursed his lips together and nodded. “Man, that’s crazy.” After a moment, he motioned to her drink. “I’ll pay for you?”

“In a generous mood, are we?” 

“Take advantage of ‘em, ‘cause they’re rare,” he said with a wink and he motioned to Tifa to fix him up with one as well. 

“Liked my artwork I left on your boss’ billboards the other day?” 

“I had a weird feelin’ that was you when we looked through the security footage, but I thought it was just the lack of sleep. Thanks to you we went overtime trying to look for the culprits.”

“Hah, my sincerest apologies… Did Rufus throw a fit?”

“Boss was mildly upset.”

“Good.”

“So,” Tifa stood in front of them, delightfully sober as to keep her head clear amongst her guests. “I heard you’re helping out Vincent now, mind catching us up on what’s going on?”

“He’s in it too?” Lady motioned to Reno with a nod of her head. 

“Yeah,” he answered for her. “Reeve, or Cait Sith- whatever you wanna call him. We’re your informants.”

This was news. She thought Shinra was under control and that they were on their side- why would they need spies? Seeing the gears work on her face, Tifa answered. “There’s suspicion that Deepground has spies within Shinra. They want to be as discreet as possible.”

“Ah.” Lady nodded in understanding, taking a sip and swishing the liquor around her mouth. “How bad is it?”

Tifa shared a look with Reno and Lady seemingly already had her answer. It wasn’t for the fact that Tifa looked so anxious but also because Reno appeared unsettled. Given the fact that the man was often so lax, if he found this to be something worth worrying for then it made Lady worry as well. If that wasn’t enough proof, Lady watched Tifa point the remote at the television screen hanging atop the counter and brought up a news outlet. 

_“Reported missing persons have skyrocketed these past few weeks with more and more calls being received everyday. Citizens of Midgar are encouraged to stay home after 7’o’clock and if need be, a city-wide lockdown will be issued…”_

“It’s not just Midgar,” Reno muttered. “It’s everywhere. Wherever there’s a populace, there’s people goin’ missing.”

“Yeah, but it’s mostly people that are _nearby_ Midgar,” Tifa corrected him. “So we think this is where we think they operate.”

“Hmm,” Lady downed the rest of her drink. “Fuck.”

*******

It didn’t take long to arrive at the desired location. The location being a single doorway embedded in a rock face by the pillar in Sector 7. It was rusted, even appearing to match the dusty facade around it; it looked increasingly dull the more she looked at it and she had to double check if she was in the right place. Digging in her pocket, she took out a keycard with the Shinra logo embossed on one side with an encoding chip on the other. Looking for a slot to slide it in, she finally found it under a fine layer of red-colored dust and blew on it before swiping her card. 

The door opened with a click and a flashing green light and she slid in the small crack that opened for her. Inside, the first thing she stepped on was steel which surprised her. Looking down, it was polished and she could even see the reflection of her boot on it. It was a large square room with steps that were in front of her that descended down into a shallow opening in the floor that contained couches, shelves, tables, and even a T.V. 

Mako-powered lights illuminated the place and doused it in soft luminescence. In the far corner she could see an open space serving as a kitchen with an islet that could sit four- maybe five people. All around the square room were doors to the bedrooms and she noticed two bathrooms sitting adjacent from each other. She was surprised yet again. It was spacious- almost high tech in here. A great contrast to the shabby appearance from the outside. 

“I’d rather be here than out there,” Genesis appeared next to her, his footsteps silent against the metal floor. “I was pleasantly surprised too.”

“I don’t mind staying out in the Sector, but,” she felt the air-conditioning blow on the back of her neck. “This is nice.” She walked down the steps to the depression in the floor which she assumed was the living room. “Is this a safe house of some sort?”

“The Turks would use it,” he confirmed. “But they so graciously gave it to us.”

“I see,” her finger traced the bookshelf that contained novels that broached subjects such as psychology, anatomy, biology, weaponry, and even one on the herbology of plants found near Midgar. At least she would have something to do if she stayed here. “Are you the only one?” 

He nodded. “Join me for a drink?”

She shook her head slowly. “Already had more than enough at Tifa’s, any more and I might be decorating Shinra’s billboards again. Besides, I’m helping out Tifa to fix that hole in her roof, I gave her quite a scare earlier.”

“Will you now?” His tone betrayed something far more sinister than his innocent question led one to believe and she felt as if she trapped herself in the den of an animal that's been stalking her for days. “Come with me,” his touch was gentle as he led her to his room. 

“Is that yours?” He motioned to the duffel bag she carried around her shoulders. 

“Yeah, change of clothes,” she admitted and set the bag down on a nearby stand. She took a moment to admire his temporary living quarters; books and tomes lined the wall, no doubt on his reading list; the bedsheets have been made and on the wall was his red coat that he used to wear during his SOLDIER days. Lady wondered if those days would come back soon for her and them. 

Unzipping her bag, she looked around. “Where can I change?” When he pointed at the spot in front of him, she made a face. “Gen, that’s not funny.”

“Neither was your behavior the past few weeks.” His face changed from something more aloof to serious, as his finger pointed down in front of him again while his other tapped patiently against the armrest of his sofa-chair. 

_Of course_. He wasn’t the type to let things go so easily, she should’ve expected this sooner.

“Strip for me-“ he crossed his leg over the other and tilted his head to have it supported by his fist as a smirk appeared on his face,”-and I may think about forgiving you.”

She could’ve walked out, she could’ve just turned back around and closed the door behind her.. but she didn’t. Stepping closer to him, her fingers worked on unbuttoning her pants after kicking off her boots. Sliding the zipper down and hooking the hem with her thumbs to try and shimmy it off. Needless to say, there was no truly ‘sexy’ way to get rid of jeans. When she pulled it down to her knees, Genesis whistled to get her attention. 

“Turn around and finish taking them off,” he instructed her and she reluctantly did so. 

After all they’ve done together, she couldn’t believe she was being shy. When she bent over at the hips, she could feel his eyes taking in the shape of her ass and she felt so exposed and embarrassed. _Why am I feeling this way?_ Standing back up after kicking her jeans away, she worked on getting her shirt off next and when it was just above her shoulders with both of her arms crossed together to take it off- he stopped her again. 

Blinded by her own shirt, she heard him get up and felt his body come closer to hers. A hand cupped her breasts and she shivered under his touch. His fingers pinched her nipples and she gasped, feeling his hands massage where he offended her. On her neck, she felt his lips leave trails of kisses up and down the side. Before he pulled away, he left a nip on her skin and told her his next set of instructions. 

“On with the show.” she couldn’t see him, but she knew for a damn fact that he was smiling. 

Her shirt fell into her hands and she tossed it where she discarded her jeans. When she was standing in nothing but her underwear, Genesis glanced at the duffel bag. “Your clothes are there, yes?”

She nodded in response and watched him walk over to the bag and take out her clothes. When he saw what she would wear, he looked at her over his shoulder with a huge sneer. “ _This_ is what you’re wearing?”

Lady defended herself. “Tifa let me borrow her clothes… It’s just for when I help at the bar.”

Walking back over after grabbing something else from the shelf that couldn’t see, Genesis felt the flimsy fabric of her underwear while hiding the package behind his back. “Close your eyes, and keep them shut,” he said firmly and she felt him thumb her nipples through her bra. When her eyes were obediently shut, she heard a rustle of movement before she felt something cold grace the inner lining of her bra. Her hands moved up and Genesis reprimanded her by grabbing them and holding them above her head. “Ah-ah,” he tutted, “you’re not allowed to touch yourself.

Two pill-like objects nestled on her nipples and she breathed out a silent gasp of relief when he stopped- but that itself was short-lived as Genesis knelt down and hooked her leg over his shoulder. His tongue glided on the skin of her thigh and she shivered, grabbing at his hair and becoming pleased when he didn’t pull away. He did say that she wasn’t allowed to touch herself, but this rule didn’t apply to touching others. A finger slid against her clothed slit and she felt him prod her through the fabric, making small circles inside as she dug her fingers through his soft hair. Her clit was soon found out and she felt him rub it gently between his forefinger and thumb as he gave another long lick on her thigh. 

“Did you imagine me doing this to Nina?” He smiled against her skin. “Kissing her and touching her like I do you? Was it enough to make your blood _boil_?” He pinched her clit hard and she let out a whine as her knees threatened to buckle underneath her weight. Genesis held a firm hand on her leg and kept her still. 

This was embarrassing, she could feel him staring up at her while he became completely undone. Was this the punishment he had in mind- no, knowing Gen, this clearly wasn’t the end. 

Another rustle and she heard the sound of something opening up soon followed by his fingers moving aside her panties and pushing something long and smooth inside of her. Even though it was small and about the size of a large finger, she gasped at the contact and how cold it felt. But that feeling soon went away when it acclimated to her body temperature. 

“Gen.. what did you put inside me?” She hissed. Her answer was received when she felt massive vibrations ricochet inside of her, emanating from the finger-like protrusion he placed in her. _A vibrator? Where do you even get that type of thing here- when did he have the time?!_ Realization dawned on her when she realized what those pill-like objects on her breasts were; and of course, to confirm this, she felt vibrations there too- grinding down on her nipples with intense speed. “Are you done..?” She breathed out, resisting the urge to rip the attachments off. 

“Not quite.” He thumbed her clit and attached something there, sending electrical jolts up her body as whatever was pinching her clit began to gyrate against her sensitive bundle of nerves. Her nipples, pussy, and clit- fuck, she felt like falling over with the intensity that they produced on her. She opened her eyes just in time to see Genesis place a magical barrier over the spots he placed the toys. Cursing loudly, he glanced up and saw that her eyes were open and he clicked his tongue in annoyance. 

“Didn’t I tell you to keep your eyes shut?” He said as he stood up. 

“What did you put on me?!” She whined when the vibrations reached overdrive and she fell forward into his arms. 

“Something to prevent you from taking it off,” he lifted her chin up as she shivered. “Since I know you’re one to disobey orders so willingly.”

“Take it off..”

He kissed her delicately on the mouth, grabbing her cheeks and making her look at him before he answered. “No,” came his soft reply and he turned her around, spreading her legs out, making her bend at the hip and using her arms to hold herself up on the chair as he positioned her ass upward. “Hold yourself like that for me.”

“Why-?” She turned her head to try and look at him behind her shoulder but was reprimanded as she felt a hand slap against her ass. Gritting her teeth, she held onto the armchair for dear life as the pain subsided. He didn’t hold back on that hit. _Bastard._

“That’s for being a little brat.” Another slap on her other cheek that sent her forward. 

“This one’s for giving me a headache and for doubting my feelings for you.” Another slap. 

“And this one-“ she braced herself, “-is a reminder.” That last slap was followed by a chuckle as he ran fingers up the inside of her thigh and displayed them to her. 

She saw viscous juices join between his fingers like a web between his fingers and she swallowed hard. Had she really gotten that wet from punishment? 

Leaning over her body, he pressed his palm flat against her stomach. “Such a lewd body of yours to become so aroused by this,” he laughed and moved his hand away to fetch something before showing her again. When it came into view, she saw a remote no bigger than a half of his palm. But there were only two buttons, one with an arrow pointing up and the other pointing down. Was this the same remote he used for all of them? It seemed short on command buttons to be for all three of her attachments. On top of the arrows was a large round button and his thumb grazed over it dangerously. 

“Know what happens when you disobey orders?” A rhetorical question as he pressed down on it without being prompted with a ‘what?’. Lady felt a surge of electricity flow from the clit and spiked upwards like a lightning bolt striking her down. She let out a whine as her knees trembled and made ready to fall until Genesis held her up, with his hand pressing her stomach firmly up as his body leaned over hers in a closer fashion. “You understand now, don’t you?” 

She nodded, panting softly as he helped her on her feet. “Now,” he smiled when he faced her. “ _I_ won’t be so cruel as to make you suffer with all of your _toys_.” He emphasized the word ‘I’ as he held up his hand which displayed the device that would control her for the day, “My rules are simple. Obey, and you won’t get another jolt and if you’re a good girl.. well, we’ll see.”

  
  


*******

Tifa handed Lady the next batch of nails and the latter quickly pounded them up into the roof, holding some of the nails by her lips. 

“You look good in that!” Tifa motioned to the mini-skirt suspended over her black tank top that she let Lady borrow. “You should keep it if you’re working, might give us some extra tips, eh?”

Lady chuckled with closed lips, a smile composed of nails. When she pounded the last set into the board, she pushed her hair back behind her ears. “You only want me around for your get-rich-quick scheme, huh?”

“Of course not,” Tifa helped her down. “You okay?” she said when she saw her face. “You look red. Is it all the black? I have a white tank you can borro-”

“I’m fine,” Lady quickly turned her around and back towards the bar. If she changed to white clothes, surely both her and the customers would see the protrusions in her bra better. She had better stick to the one she had on. Thankfully Genesis gave her a small mercy of having the vibrator on her clit set to a small rumble, not high enough to make her immobile but not low enough to forget its presence. Just like him to do that, the cocky asshole. “What’s next?” 

Tifa held up a canvas sheet and gave it to her to hold. “Mind covering that up with this?” her eyes motioned to the patched ceiling. “It’s a bit of an eyesore with it just like that. I really need to call someone in to get it fixed properly.” 

Taking the canvas in her hand, Lady hopped back on the table. “How did it even get like this?”

“Well,” she put her hands on her hips as she recalled the events, clearly upset at what had happened. “Barret and the guys didn’t think Cloud could finish a whole bottle by himself.”

“And?”

“And that happened,” she pointed at the ceiling. 

“Right, but _how even_ -”

“Oi, Tifa! Can we get another drink over here!” A customer waved to her and she responded with a wave to acknowledge his request. 

“Be right back,” she told Lady as she turned her attention elsewhere, leaving her to figure out how to attach the heavy canvas sheet to the ramshackle mess that was the ceilings- more specifically the boards that she put up. She could’ve done a better job, but the more she stretched her body, the more risk she put herself of exposing her undergarments to wandering eyes. 

Taking another set of nails, she started on hammering the four corners of the sheet up all the while on her tiptoes. The door opened again and while she was too busy putting it up, she heard Tifa identify whoever it was. “Sephiroth! Is Cloud with you?”

“No,” came his voice, as smooth and calm as ever. “I’m sure he’s with Zack and Angeal.”

The disappointment was clear in her voice. “Oh. Well.. that’s okay. Help yourself to a drink and let me know if you’re hungry!” 

Sephiroth only nodded his head in response as he approached the table Lady was standing on. “Need some help?” he asked her and she gave him a vehement shake of her head. 

“I got it, just one more.. There!” Hopping down, she gripped his forearms as he helped steady her. “Did you need something?” She asked him and when he was about to answer, another customer whistled her down and she gave Sephiroth an apologetic look before running towards them. 

“Yes, can I-“ she was cut off as a jolt made her jump slightly. Electric currents flowed from the vibrations deep inside of her entrance and she brought up a hand to cover up a whimper before it could escape her. The customer that called her had a confused look on his face. 

“You doin’ okay there, girly?” 

Tifa walked over with an empty tray and saw how she shivered. “You okay? Do you need to take a break?”

“N-no, I can still work, sorry I don’t know- mmph,” she bit down on her finger as her face flushed when the vibrations grew stronger. 

Tifa looked concerned. “It’s okay if you can’t, I’ll take over while you rest?”

“I’ll take her to the break room,” Sephiroth walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder and when Tifa nodded her approval, he pulled her down the hall to lead to one of the extra rooms they used for sleeping if any employee- or any Avalanche member- needed to rest. 

When they were further away from the crowd, she felt the vibrations die down. “Seph,” she stopped him, “I think I’m okay now.” _Genesis promised he’d only play with one.. what a jackass._

“I don’t think that’d be a good idea,” his voice was cold and forced her to look back at him. From the pocket of his dark-colored jeans, his hand came into full view and that’s when she saw it. A remote similar to Genesis’. 

“Wha-“ she slumped against a wall as the vibrations hit her at full intensity. “Stop,” she said as quietly as she could and he knelt in front of her.

With his eyes appearing as if they were glowing, his dark dilated pupils seemed to beckon her. “If you want it to stop, then be a good girl and follow me,” he got back up and lent her his hand. Taking it, he pulled her up with ease and when they got to the room, he waited for her to go in first before entering in after her and locking the door behind him to ensure no interruptions. “I’m sure you figured out which one I have, right?”

A curt nod was her response and she felt him run her fingers through the back of her hair and tug it down sharply, exposing her neck to him. His tongue ran up the side, leaving a trail that felt hotter than her own body and made her feel like she would melt in his hands. His hands ran along the curves of her body until they rested at her hips and that’s when he nipped her skin, making her jump against him. When she whimpered his name, he gripped her hips roughly as she raised her arms to wrap around his neck. To get at his height, she stood on her tiptoes until his arms hooked under her thigh and lifted her up; taking them both to the bed in the room and sitting down on the edge. 

Wrapping her legs around him, she rested her forehead against his which he had to lower for her. “Sephiroth…” she murmured and she wanted to touch him so bad, to feel his bare skin under her fingers- to touch every part of him until she was satisfied. In response, he brought her face closer to his and their lips connected. Slowly their kisses disconnecting and reconnecting, faster and faster until he nipped at her bottom lip to allow his tongue to slide in. Hers met his in anticipation and she tasted him just as he increased the vibrations inside of her. 

A cry escaped her lips as she rocked her hips into, desperate for some sort of release. The toys were enough to send her over the edge, but not quite enough to tip her off completely. She craved his touch- _their_ touch. Backing away, a trail of saliva attached her to him that soon dropped onto the tops of her breasts, feeling cold against her flushed skin. 

“You look so tempting like this,” he kissed her again but made it as chaste as the breath that escaped her. His eyes peering down at how her chest rose and fell heavily due to just how gods damn horny she was. “But I shouldn’t let myself go just yet,” he kissed her again and she pushed forward in an attempt to get more friction between them. And in a cruel, teasing manner, he grinded her on his crotch; moving her hips so that she could feel his hardening member. Licking her lips, she tried to contain herself but the feeling of him being aroused under her made all those inhibitions slip away. She wanted to get fucked. She wanted to have sex with Sephiroth.

“Please,” she was almost at her wits end as she soon felt the toy against her clit shake more violently, gyrating in tandem with the one inside her pussy. “I want…”

Sephiroth was amused, trailing her saliva drenched lip with a finger. “What do you want, hm?”

“I want you.. inside of me,” she grasped onto his shirt. “Please,” burying her face in his chest, she restrained herself from ripping it off. “I can’t take it anymore.”

“As much as I want to…” he trailed off as he looked down at his phone in his hand which lit up with a notification. “Angeal’s here, and he’s thirsty. Fix him a drink, won’t you?”

“And also,” his eyes darkened. “This is punishment for giving another man your attention when I’m standing right there.” 

*******

Lady placed an ice-cold bottle of beer by the other one on a tray before turning around and going over to the table where Angeal and Zack sat with Cloud. As she served those two their drinks, Tifa served Cloud one and had her attention focused mainly on the blond after she greeted the other two promptly. Lady smiled to herself, even when Tifa gave that spiky blond-haired guy her best smiles and fluttering eyelashes- he still didn’t understand that he was the object of her affection. 

“Here ya go,” she set the bottles in front of Angeal and Zack. “I don’t know how you can drink this swill,” she added quietly. 

“Work makes a man thirsty,” Angeal waited for the freshly carbonated bubbles to sink deep into the amber drink before taking a sip. 

“Ugh,” Zack leaned back in his chair, his head hanging back then ruffled his black spikes. “Midgar is huge. Who knows where this Deep-“ he stopped when Angeal glared at him. “I mean, it could take weeks.”

“That never stopped you before from getting a mission done,” she flicked his nose playfully. “Isn’t that right, puppy boy?” 

“Hey,” he grabbed her hand and pulled her down into his lap. “I told you not to call me that!” Anchoring her down to his lap, his fingers hovered dangerously over her waist where they waited for his command to launch their attack. “Hey, didn’t you say we were gonna go to Midgar together? Liar,” with that he began tickling her and she tried to push herself off but to no avail. She couldn't even get an answer out of her mouth as he struggled to contain her laughter. “We’re still going on our second date though, right?”

She nodded to try and get him to stop, “Yes, we are! Now stop- that tickles!”

“That’s the point,” he joined in on her laughter and hugged her close. When she adjusted herself in his lap, her body suddenly went rigid and her face flushed pink as she slapped a hand across her mouth. “He-hey,” Zack stopped and turned her towards where he could see her face clearly. “You okay? You don’t look too good.”

“I’m fine,” she said through gritted teeth, her voice a higher pitch than usual and squeezed her eyes shut when he put a hand on her forehead to gauge her temperature.

“Man, you are hot, should you be up and around like this?” 

Tifa looked up from her conversation with Cloud. “Lady.. do you wanna take the day off? It doesn’t seem like you’re well, that’s twice, y’know?”

“I’m fine, just need to get some fresh air,” she staggered up and Zack immediately followed, placing his hand on her lower back to try and guide her. 

“I’ll help you,” he said and she clung onto his arm. Watching the two of them disappear down the hallway with Zack holding her tightly, Angeal finished the rest of his beer with one gulp while his other hand toyed with something beneath the table. 

*******

Lady bit down on her finger as they exited the bar, sticking to the back where no one else could see them unless another person came from the same door they used. She leaned against the rail, holding her head; her body felt like it was on fire. Her nipples were being rubbed violently and she bit down harder just so she could stop from moaning loudly. 

When Zack saw that she was almost breaking the skin on her hand, he pulled her hand away and set it down. “Hey you shouldn’t do that! What’s wrong? You know you can talk to me.”

Another jolt made her jump forward and her arms wrapped onto him for support. Realizing their closeness, she muttered a quick apology and tried to back away but was stopped when he held her there, a concerned look on his handsome face. “You’re making me worry.. are you..?” 

A closer look at her made him rethink his theory of her being sick. Her cheeks were flushed. Eyes were glazed over but not in a way that belonged to someone who was ill, her lips were parted and looked pink and inviting- like she was thirsty for something but not as a person who was denied water. That thirst was for something else. 

Zack gulped and his hands slid down to the crook of her waist before he knew what he was doing. Her eyes looked up at him, almost as if to goad him on but she was merely lost in a daze. Cupping her face, he noted that even the slightest touch made her shiver and she squeezed her eyes shut; gripping on his arms and feeling the firm muscle just below the skin. He felt himself drawn to her lips, just the sight of them there made his mouth dry. They looked so soft and ready to kiss. 

And so he pushed her gently against the back railing, wrapping his hands around the bars and taking in the sight of her. Closing in, he couldn’t stop himself as his lips slowly found hers- but they didn’t meet. 

Because the back door opened and a gruff voice called Zack’s name before he could continue any further. 

“Barret and the guys are looking for you, might want to see what it’s about,” Angeal leaned against the door, looking almost smug. Zack, looking rather flush himself, nodded and walked inside with one last look thrown at her before Angeal closed the door after him. When he approached her, she grabbed his shirt and shook him slightly. 

“You have it, don’t you?!” She hissed, nearly beside herself with unsurmountable pleasure. 

“Have what?” He raised his eyebrows in an attempt to look innocent. 

“Don’t fuck with me, Angeal. You have it, I know you do!” She leaned forward just as he pushed her back. 

“You sure you want to take that tone with me?” His voice became low and she bit down on her tongue to stop herself from making another snide remark. “Didn’t know Zack had it in him to try and do _that_ ,” he mused, “but I suppose he’s still a man too.” He lifted up her chin, “Who wouldn’t be tempted by this?”

“Angeal-“ she trembled as another wave hit her, stronger than the last. Her breasts felt so sensitive, and when they pushed against his broad chest- she felt as if she would cum right then and there. This was driving her insane, she wanted it to end. If anything, out of the three of them, maybe she could plead with him. “Can you make it stop, please? I can’t take it anymore.”

“That’s too bad,” he spun her around and had her push her hands against the rocky wall that sheltered Seventh Heaven. “Lift your skirt for me.”

“But- what if someone sees us?”

“No one will,” he assured her, even glancing to the side to see that none were walking near or behind the bar. “Now lift it.”

“But-“

“I wasn’t asking, soldier. Lift it.” 

His voice became authoritative and it brought her back to the days when he was her mentor. Constantly barking out orders and commands. He was firm, but fair, and didn’t hesitate to give out commendations when he saw improvement. Of course, those days were short-lived. 

Lifting up her skirt, she felt air grace her ass cheeks and she shivered. It wasn’t necessarily the fact that she was stripping for him that made her embarrassed, it was the fact that- 

“Damn.. you’re wet. How did Zack not feel this when you were on his lap?” A finger ran up her thigh and he brought it around to show her the glistening liquid on his finger. “Now, hold on tightly to the rail.”

She did so, feeling him position himself behind her and through a sense of rebellion, she grinded her ass against his crotch. When she heard him inhale sharply, she smiled to herself. He wanted her as bad as she did.

“Why do you always have to be so insubordinate?” His hand grabbed her ass roughly and she braced herself because she knew what came next. Gripping the rails, she tried to contain the yelp as his hand came down on her. _Hard._

The resounding slap echoed in the cramped alleyway and she almost staggered under the force. His hits were harder than Genesis’ and much more painful too, and yet- she noticed more liquid arousal coming from her and apparently, so did he. 

“Hah, getting turned on by this?” He chuckled. “What a pervert.”

“That’s not true,” she whined and let out another small moan when his hand came flying down once more. Her ass would be red, she was sure of it. “Angeal…”

A hand fondled her left breast and pressed down on the vibrating pill in her bra. As he massaged it around with his finger, he spanked her again. Leaving equal hits on each cheek as he pressed the vibrator onto her breast and made it swirl around in circular motions. The mix of pain and pleasure was too much and she felt like she was about to see stars. His arm moved to wrap her neck with his bicep choking her slightly as he fondled her breasts with his other. 

“Did you enjoy that?” He growled into her ear. He was so close and she felt his body pressed against her back. She craved the contact he gave. 

“Angeal, please,” she cried, almost bursting at the seams. “Can you fuck me, please?” She hated the words coming out of her mouth. But in the heated daze that she was in, she didn’t care- she needed release _now._ To further goad him, she pressed his ass against his crotch and heard him laugh at her attempt, though his dick hardened and even he pressed it between her ass. 

“Sorry, sweetheart, but-“ he leaned over to whisper into her ear again, “-I don’t want to give you the satisfaction.”

*******

“Genesis, please take these off, I can’t.. I can’t-!”

“Can’t what? Sit still, we’re not done yet.” 

“But, you said you’d take these off when you’re satisfied.”

“Correct, and I’m not. So that’s why you’re like this.”

Sitting on a chair with her posterior still throbbing painfully from Angeal’s spanking, she had her legs tied down over the armrests with her ass scooted all the way to the edge; her arms were tied over her head and over the top of the armchair as to prevent her from touching herself; and most notably, she was stark naked- save for the silk blindfold around her eyes and the three vibrators on her body that rumbled at high power. 

“By the Six,” Genesis muttered and she felt his hand caress the inner part of her thigh. “You’re soaking the chair.” 

“Gen, please, take these off-!” she squirmed in her chair, trying to shrug off the binds but it only tested their durability and no, they didn’t budge. “I’ll do anything, just please-”

“Anything?” his voice trailed off in curiosity and drew circles on her skin with a finger. When she nodded, he grinned and pressed the vibrator down onto her clit hard. “Then scream.”

And so she did, with pleasure. 

“Had enough?” he pinched on her nipple and she parted her lips to let out a silent whine. Saliva trailed down her chin from the corner of her mouth and she felt him grab her face and lick it up before placing a wet kiss on her lips. She savored his tongue against hers and whimpered when he backed away. Even if she was blindfolded, she could still see the smug smirk he always had on his face when he knew he was winning. “Open your mouth.” 

She did so and she felt something smooth prod against her lips. Her tongue came out to meet it and she rubbed it thoroughly to feel its shape. Even if she already knew what it was, she wanted to savor it like it was her first and something foreign to her. Her lips wrapped around it as her tongue lashed around the head and on the tip of his glans. “Look at you,” he said as he petted her hair. “Drooling like an absolute slut, a dog in heat.”

His words stung but they were true. She was craving it so bad that she could sing it to the heavens without shame. His- no, _their_ constant foreplay with her today made her body susceptible to any form of touch. Each sensation sent her into overdrive, but it was always never enough to tip her completely over the edge into an orgasm. Even when a stranger bumped into her as she ran back to the hideout, it sent shivers up her spine and after that she ran even faster. She wanted to get these damn toys off, even if it was the last thing she did. 

Her head struggled to move any forward because of how her arms were restrained and so she resorted to let her tongue do all the exploring. Only taking in the head of his cock in her lips, she did her best to service him even with her shortcomings. Hollowing out her cheeks, she gave the head a generous kiss before taking it in completely and licking it as if it were her last meal provided to her in her life. _Gods. This is torture_. It was, but to her, it was also bliss. A mix of pleasure and pain that wound together, dancing in a way that nothing else could match. 

“Are you ready for your reward?” he let her taste the whole of his cock before pulling out, leaving drops of drool and pre-cum to mix on her chest. 

She nodded, unable to make out words anymore. When she felt fingers spread apart her folds, she shivered and bit her bottom lip in anticipation. When she heard him stepping closer to her, she wanted to yell at him to hurry it up. When she felt the head of his cock swirl at her entrance, she let out a relieved sigh that was turned into a high-pitched whine as it was suddenly thrust in. 

“My my, it went in so easily. Just how much were you craving it?” Genesis’ mouth landed on hers and they kissed with fervor as he pounded her from above. His thrusts were long and languid, savoring her folds before plunging deep inside. When he was inside, she memorized his shape and the curve of his length as it constantly jammed the tip of her cervix with the same mesmerizing intensity of his kisses on her mouth. 

A click of a button and a subtle chuckle followed with an electric shock at her clit made her squeal as she felt herself cumming, but before she could arrive at an orgasm, she felt him slip away and she immediately mourned the loss. 

Soon enough, a cock slid back inside of her. Just as easy as it was the last time. 

Soon, it began ramming her at a rapid pace that seemed rougher than the last round. Wild and unreserved, she let out a stifled moan. “Gen,” she panted out his name, eager to finish with him. “Gen!”

“I’m right here.” That was Gen’s voice but it didn’t sound like it was coming from in front of her. Maybe she was imagining it, blaming it on the fact that she’d not been focused all day. 

The following thrusts made the chair scoot back, squeaking loudly on the floor. Her ass met the cushions painfully and she so wanted to touch him as he fucked her mercilessly against the chair. It was worth noting that she still had the vibrators on her and they were going at full capacity, her pleasure only being exacerbated with the heady thrusts that pounded her with enough force to send her to the heavens.

It soon stopped and she felt it slide in slowly, staying there so that she could feel the shape of the thing inside her that brought her closer to the edge of a climax. After a few seconds, something struck her as odd. The dick inside of her felt different, and even the thrusts were changed drastically from the first round. She let out a gasp when she realized then heard Genesis laugh behind her. 

“Finally figured it out, didn’t you?” 

_Fuck_. So she wasn’t imagining it. When her blindfold fell off, her theory had been confirmed. 

In front of her wasn’t Genesis, it was Sephiroth. And behind him? Angeal. 

The realization knocked the daze out of her and she looked up at Gen who looked down at her with the biggest smirk she’d ever seen. “Bastard!” she hissed. “You set me up!”

“You just realized this?” he flicked her forehead with a finger. “I’ve been doing so the whole day and you think it was only me who wanted payback?” _Well, he has a point_. “I’m pleased you could tell it wasn’t me, even if it did take you a while.” 

She wanted to hide her face in a pillow, averting her gaze until Sephiroth gently turned her head to him again. “Why are you embarrassed? We’ve done this before, remember?” he said with such a soft tone that differed from his rough treatment prior. _Of course I remember, I remember all too well._

“You’re making her blush,” Genesis played with a strand of her hair. “Would you prefer the blindfold on again?” 

Sephiroth and Genesis locked eyes. “It’s not like it matters, she’d recognize us by the shape of our cocks,” Genesis traced her cheek with a finger. “Isn’t that, right? You little slut.”

“Leave me alone,” she moved her face away from his finger but his hand grasped her face and turned it towards him. 

“I said to behave, that means no lip either,” he held up a remote and pressed on it faster than she could protest. From her clitoris, she felt a shockwave that pierced her body and surprisingly, Sephiroth let out a small grunt as well. 

“She got tighter,” he hummed with approval. “You should do that more.” 

“Since you’re asking so nicely.”

The vibrator on her clit began to do its job all too well and when Sephiroth saw how it made her squirm, he made sure the one he was in charge of was doing its job as well. And with both of them completely undoing her, he took out his stiff cock and rammed it inside of her again. Continuing his savage rhythm from earlier, she cried out his name correctly this time and watched through half-lidded eyes as his gazed focused solely on hers. It filled her with the sensation of eternal affection, constantly guiding her in and out of euphoria as the thick vein of his cock scraped against her insides roughly. 

Not only did he feel the effects of the toy on himself, but also around his dick as her walls squeezed tightly with each vibrating shock. It was enough to make him growl lowly as he finished and coated her insides with thick strings of sperm. Though he didn’t go soft of course, but remained hard and promised another round with her. The resulting orgasm she had made her gasp for air and see stars on the metal ceiling. 

“Hold on, save some for us,” Genesis worked on unfastening her binds and Sephiroth swiftly landed a kiss on her lips before she was pulled away as Genesis made her stand up with her back pressed to his chest. Her legs felt weak beneath her and was surprised when he picked her up with his arms hooked beneath her knees and supporting her as he spread her legs far apart to reveal her glistening folds that still had Sephiroth’s cum dripping out slowly. 

She covered her entrance with her hands, embarrassed that it was displayed so openly. Genesis leaned forward to whisper in her ear, “Spread it wide so that Angeal can see. He’s been patiently waiting his turn, look.”

She did look, and saw that he was trying his best to restrain himself. A part of her was so embarrassed that she was in such a position, but another part- looking down at his dick which was clearly hard through his sweats, made her swallow her pride. She’d already come this far, and it would be unfair for him if she didn’t allow it. Uncovering herself, she gulped and spread her lips open for him to see. “Angeal..” she called softly. “Can you fuck me, please?” 

She felt so dirty saying that to him all the while another man’s sperm dripped out of her.

Angeal approached her and caressed her face. Looking down at the white liquid leaking from her onto the floor, he sighed and looked back at Sephiroth. “You came so much, are you trying to get her pregnant?”

Sephiroth had a satisfied smile on his face. “I wouldn’t mind being a father.”

“Neither would I,” Angeal muttered under his breath. 

“Are you two crazy?” she cried. “This isn’t the best time for me to get pregnant right now!”

“Oh, so you wouldn’t mind being pregnant with our children?” Genesis whispered in her ear and she froze. 

“That’s not what I meant,” she said through gritted teeth. “Don’t take it the wrong way!”

Angeal pulled her face towards him for a kiss as he slipped himself inside of her. The insides widening to welcome him in and she relished the feeling of being full again. Hanging onto him, she clung tightly onto his neck as Genesis loosened his grip on her before she felt something prod at her back entrance. It wasn’t soon until she felt his dick enter her ass and that full feeling she had a second ago evolved into something that would tear her at the seams. 

With Gen at the back and Angeal’s at the front, both of them not giving her a minute to rest and constantly pounding her- she felt like she’d go insane. Her body was at their mercy and the sounds of their grunts and sighs were drowned out by her echoing moans and wanton cries of their names. It felt like a dream. One that she didn’t want to wake up from. Surely if she let herself get lost in this maze of pleasure, she truly would go mad. 

Her moans were muffled as Angeal kissed her, his grunts meeting her soft pants as their tongues swirled around each other and tasted the other with voracious hunger. Inside, she could feel their dicks fill her up and empty out, just for it to be pushed back in. She swore she could feel them touch inside with how close her walls closed next to each other. 

“Damn,” she heard Genesis pant. “She’s.. tight back here.” 

When their thrusts became more erratic and harder, she felt something approaching fast- the climax that she’d been waiting for all day. Every sensation she felt, every painful second spent waiting today, it would be worth it. It’d be damn worth it. 

“I’m at my limit,” Angeal grunted and she muttered something incoherent as she wrapped around his neck tighter to hang for dear life.

“Same here,” Genesis sighed. 

“Hurry it up, I need my turn again,” said Sephiroth who was sitting on the chair she’d been previously tied up to. 

She couldn’t speak at this point, only with babbles belonging to someone who had been driven crazy with lust. And when she came, it was nothing short of explosive, she felt it hit her with enough force to send her directly back into the Lifestream. 

Hot fluids shot up into her from both holes, coating it generously with their seed and she immediately felt it drip from her to the ground below as her body numbed up slumped against Angeal. 

“Sephiroth, you’re up,” Genesis swept back his hair, letting Angeal hold her up as he backed away. After a minute of seeing her not moving, Genesis prodded her. “Lady?... Ah, she’s passed out.” 


	15. XV

“You guys look pretty happy, what happened?” Zack looked to the other three around him. They sat perched on their stools with an almost dreamy expression as they drank their preferred morning beverages. 

“Nothing much, we can’t enjoy a drink to ourselves?” Genesis hummed, his nose hovering over the cup of fragrant tea he brewed for himself. It smelled of rose petals and mint and Zack scrunched up his nose when he smelled it earlier. It was much too strong, but Genesis didn’t seem to notice. 

Both Sephiroth and Angeal sipped on their coffee; Sephiroth with exactly two spoons of regular creamer and a single cube of sugar while Angeal sipped his black. From one of the rooms, Lady emerged with her hair messily tied into a high bun. She only wore a sports bra that cut off right above her navel as well as baggy black sweats, both of them sporting the iconic Shinra logo.

Rubbing at her eyes, she walked towards the kitchen and sleepily greeted each and every one of them. “Mornin’,” she muttered as she reached for the coffee pot and began pouring herself some. Zack noticed she kept massaging her lower back as well as craning her neck to stretch it every few seconds. When she sat down on the seat beside Sephiroth, he saw that she had a glow to her and she looked better off than she did yesterday. 

“Hey, is your fever gone?” he asked her and she made a face. 

“Fever?” she was genuinely confused. “What do you mean- oh. Uh, yeah. I got some, uh, medicine for it.”

“Tons of medicine, _stuffed_ with it,” Genesis muttered out of Zack’s earshot but Lady heard and promptly kicked him under the table. Sephiroth smirked and hid his smile behind his mug while his other hand slipped underneath the table and gripped her thigh, giving it a generous squeeze. This made her tense up as she felt herself get hot under his touch. 

“What’s the itinerary today?” Angeal slipped his arm in front of Lady to reach for a piece of fruit laying in a bowl, making sure to pass his hand directly over her breasts in a discreet fashion. 

“Not sure,” Zack said, completely unaware of what was going on. “Just know we have a lot of searchin’ to do in the Sectors. Ugh. Never realized Midgar was so big.”

“You worked for Shinra for how long and you _just_ realized this fact?” Sephiroth chuckled. “I suppose you were too busy looking at the upper plate.” His hand squeezed her thigh tighter and she tried to ignore it. 

“Have we tried exploring the reactors?” She didn’t have the strength to bat away Seph’s hand. “Or is that not a good idea?”

“Not for ex-Shinra personnel,” Angeal said. “We’d be shot on sight.” 

“Not like regular infantry could do anything to us,” scoffed Genesis. “Their aim is as good as a child fumbling for something in the dark.”

“Hm, then what?” Zack asked. “What do we do if we don’t wanna get shot?”

“Avalanche,” said Sephiroth as if the answer was obvious. “They’re good at infiltrating secure Shinra sites. We could ask them for help.”

“Let’s save the reactors for last,” Genesis swirled the tea bag in his cup. “They always make me feel sick.”

“Right,” Lady nodded. “I don’t think Rufus would be too happy with us encroaching on his property.”

Angeal laughed. “We already are ever since we stepped foot here, what difference does it make? Shinra always believed they own Midgar.”

“That’s because, in a sense, they do,” Sephiroth squinted at him. “They control the mako reactors that power up the entire city, they’ve a right to believe that.”

Lady closed her eyes, feeling the mako drain from the grounds around them and travel the metallic, rusted pipes towards the reactors. The Lifestream harbored the energy of those that were long gone. Souls of the departed that were used to recreate life in an unending cycle of death and rebirth. Now that she thought about it, it was disturbing that their energy was being used to power their current world in such a wasteful and extravagant manner. To be sucked into a churning vat to power up a city that had no life, it sent chills up her arms. She can’t believe she worked at a company like that. She was so short-sighted. But all she wanted to do- _all I wanted to do was to make her proud._ An image of her mother popped up in her mind and she quickly willed it away. 

“Your mother said she felt uneasy when we were near Midgar, can you feel it too?” Sephiroth asked her and this grabbed her attention. 

“She does?” Lady was surprised. “Well.. to be honest, I’ve always felt that since I’ve been here.”

“What’s the feeling like?”

“You know when you feel like there’s eyes on you, but when you turn around no one’s there? Or when you feel something crawling on your skin like a bug but there’s nothing there? Sorta like that.” She twiddled her thumbs together and saw the blank looks she was given, indicating that no, they didn’t have an idea of what she was talking about. “Nevermind, I guess my mom and I are just sensitive to magic.”

“You never told us about your father,” Angeal said quietly. 

“I didn’t see the need to,” she shrugged.

“And what about your mother?”

“What about her?” The indifference in her voice made his eyebrows knit together and when she saw him frown at her, she sighed. “She was the general leading the Spiran army, as well as presiding over political affairs. Excuse me if I didn’t have time to sit on her lap and ask her to tell me a story all the time. She wasn’t home a lot, but my dad was. Then he died and now I’m here. Is that enough background for you?”

“You know so much about us, but we don’t know much about you.” Zack’s sympathetic tone made her relax. “...Is that why you don’t use your real name?”

Lady’s face softened into a smile and she leaned forward with her hands intertwined. “I didn’t know much ‘bout my mom either. Just whispers and tales.” She stared into her mug which used to contain steaming coffee, now it was just lukewarm and she could see her reflection in the deep brown liquid. “You made me remember something. A nickname they used to call her.”

Genesis leaned forward. “What was it?”

“The goddess of war.”

*******

“It was a pleasure seeing you,” Luna bowed her head at Onna. 

“The pleasure was mine,” Onna returned the gesture. “I’m flattered I was allowed to come see you off, Lady Lunafreya,” she then turned to the older brother. “The same for you, Lord Ravus.” Looking at Luna, she asked her another question. “Have you already said goodbye to Noctis and King Regis?”

Luna’s eyes lit up at their names. “Yes! Earlier, but they were-”

“Indisposed,” Ravus finished for her hastily, eager to leave Insomnia. “I’m sure they’ve Lucian affairs to attend to.” 

Onna picked up on the hostility in his voice and so did Luna, who gave him an upset stare. The older woman smiled at the both of them and this made them stand alert. Something about her commanded their attention, an air that demanded respect even if she herself didn’t. The siblings thought it was the most peculiar thing.

When Luna saw Commodore Aranea arrive, she turned to Onna again. “This is goodbye, we’ll be departing to Altissia.”

“I’m sure we'll see each other very soon,” Onna said as Aranea came and stood by Ravus. The commodore gave the woman in the black kimono a peculiar look, raising an eyebrow then turned away. She knew it wasn’t the girl she found lying on the floor in a cave and fondly bestowed the nickname of ’doll face’. 

Luna stretched out her hand and Onna, reluctantly, obliged. When their hands met, Luna’s eyes widened slightly and she looked down at their skin where it connected. When Onna saw this, she retracted after another gratuitous second as to not break manners. Bading them one last goodbye, she turned around and headed back into the Citadel. Ravus saw how his sister’s face changed into one of shock and when they walked with Aranea, he discreetly asked her. 

“What’s happened?”

She shook her head and smiled at him. “It’s nothing.” He knew she was lying but elected to leave it alone.. for now.

The Oracle couldn’t shake the feeling she had when they touched hands. Waves of power crashed down on her when they did. Followed by an aura that she felt held immense strength beneath that gentle surface. She only ever felt that sensation with one other person- Gentiana.

*******

Lady stretched her arms above her head and breathed in the not-so-fresh air. She tucked her hands in her pockets and kicked a rock that happened to be in her way. There was no one else on the roads, to their hideout and she was thankful for that. That means she could have a peaceful walk- or so she thought. 

In the distance she saw a walking mass of red and black that crossed into the Sector. It was limping along the road, constantly stopping then pushing itself off the ground to continue on its way. Squinting, she waited till it came into focus and saw the shapes that became more visible. Sleek black tangles of hair, a red cape wrapped around their neck and covering their black clothes underneath- 

Lady gasped. “Vincent!” 

She ran towards the man as he collapsed to his knees and fell forward into her arms. Rolling him on his back, she looked down to where his gauntleted hand covered his stomach; revealing a gaping wound there that already had coagulated blood on the sides that crusted off into dark brownish-red flakes. He’d been carrying this for a while. But it should’ve healed a long time ago.

“Vincent,” she shook him. “Damn it, Vince, what happened?!” He didn’t respond, only muttering unintelligible sounds. Helping him up, she quickly wrapped his arm around her neck as she helped pull him along. He groaned as they moved and she kept him stable with a simple healing spell. Her main objective was to get him medical attention, her questions would have to wait.

*******

“He looks like shit,” Zack grimaced. “He gonna pull through?” 

Lady made a noise to indicate that he’d be fine. Her hair was tied up to get it away from her face, but when a strand rebelliously fell from her updo, she let out an indignant sound. She had her hands full and she couldn’t afford to brush it back. When Zack saw her try to flick her head up in an attempt to move it, he reached over and tucked her hair in for her. 

“Thank you,” she uttered quickly before finishing up the last stitches on Vincent’s wound. She used the back of her arm to wipe at the sweat on her forehead and got up to wash her hands in the bathroom. The water turned red as it drained her hands of any residual bodily fluids. After a few seconds of scrubbing, she looked up at the doorway of the bathroom to see Zack leaning against the frame. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” he shook his head. “Just never seen anyone stitch that fast.”

She laughed. “You learn to patch up wounds quickly when you get into as many fights as me,” she brushed her hands together in an up-and-down motion to dry them off. “I just hope he’s okay.” 

Vincent was laying on the bed with only his pants on. The blood stood out brightly against his pale skin and his chest rose and fell heavily. It made her worry. The Chaos genes within him should’ve healed him by now? Why wasn’t it doing so?? Turning to Zack, she tried to make it look like she wasn’t worried. “You should head out, I’ll stay and watch him.”

“You sure?” 

“Yeah,” she nodded and looked at his lower left cheek where an x-shaped scar sat. She remembered giving him that scar. Or more importantly, she remembered Jenova leaving him with such a mark. Her hand immediately reached out to touch it, tracing the mark and having a glaze come over her eyes. Knowing what she was doing, he put a hand over hers and held it there on his cheek. 

“It’s not your fault,” he reminded her. “And plus, the scar makes me look cooler, right?” This made her smile and he was glad to see it. 

“Go on now,” she urged him, “I’ll see you later, Zack.” 

Zack understood and left the room, leaving her and Vincent the only two in the safe house. When she heard the front entrance lock, she immediately dialed a number on her phone and held it to her ear. She waited, tapping her foot on the metal floor and breathed a sigh of relief when the other line picked up.

_“Reeve Tuesti, how may I help you?”_

“Reeve,” Lady greeted the director of urban planning in Shinra. “How are you?”

_“Lady! I’m fine,_ _how’s it going? Everything alright?”_

“Well.. I’m fine but..” she glanced at Vincent who tossed his head on the pillow, looking like he was having trouble sleeping. “Vincent’s here. He looks to be in a lot of pain. Do you know where he went?” 

_“Hmm.. he was investigating reactor number 8. Haven’t heard from him since he went in though, but I guess I know where he is now.”_

“Reeve, is Shinra and Deepgro-“

_“Sh. It’s not safe to discuss it here. It’s better if I send my, ahem, friend, to explain. But for now let’s just focus on Vincent.”_

“Right,” she nodded, massaging the back of her neck. “Reeve, his wounds aren’t healing. I’m not sure what to do. That thing should heal him, right?” 

_“... Try giving him your DNA.”_

“‘Scuse me?”

_“Jenova cells are shown to have a high reproduction rate. When it comes to healing, your cells will be faster than his.”_

“That’s ridiculous, can it really work that way?”

_“Well I have data to prove it.”_

“Okay, disregarding data, why can’t I just use a cure spell on him?”

_“Chaos rejects anything ‘pure’. If you’re using your magic, it can probably sense your mako. It’s best if you do a direct injection of your DNA.”_

Lady walked over to the bed where Vincent lay and put Reeve on speaker as she pondered her options. “Okay, how should I do it?”

_“Well, you can try and kiss him-“_

At this, Vincent’s eyes fluttered open and bore holes into her as she went rigid. 

“I have to kiss him?!”

“I have to kiss her...”

_“Would you rather ask Angeal and Genesis? Or Sephiroth maybe? Not that I think they’d be okay with that.”_

This conjured up images of any of those three kissing him and she felt her cheeks heat up. Lady looked back at Vincent, then at her phone, then back at Vincent again. Hanging up on Reeve and shaking her head, she muttered. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

“Trust me, it’s not something I look forward to either,” he grimaced and sat up on his elbows, flinching as he did so. 

“Would you rather me spit in your mouth?!” She hissed. “Or eat my hair or suck my blood? How else will you get my DNA?”

“...Fine. I hope you’ve at least brushed your teeth this morning.”

“I should just let you bleed out and die.”

Lady sat on the bedside, swallowing and feeling her mouth go dry when his crimson eyes raked over her as if sizing her up- like an animal looking at a meal. Long locks of black framed his pale face and she hated admitting it- but the man was alluring. 

“Will you just stare, or will you hurry it up?” He prompted her and all previous attractions quickly exited her. Leaning down, she balanced herself on the edge of the bed and her lips grazed his slowly before she pressed them firmly. When her face kept leaning much too far to the right due to the position on the bed, he raised his hand up to push her head to the left in a surprisingly gentle manner. 

His lips opened first and his tongue slid out to greet hers as she let the tip of hers lick his. It was warm and wet and she did her best to deposit as much saliva as she could into his mouth. She felt a dribble of it slide from the corner of her lips and when she tried to lean in to catch it with her bottom lip, she tipped over too much but was caught quickly as Vincent grappled her arm; in one swift motion he lifted her up onto him and she straddled him to be in a more comfortable position. _This is only because he needs it._ _Purely medical reasons._

His hands slid down slowly, carefully, until he reached her ass and she grabbed at them to stop him but he pulled his lips away with crimson eyes appearing serious. “You salivate more when you’re aroused.”

_There’s no way that’s true._ But when her tongue seemed more moist, she had no other choice but to believe him. He tasted like red wine, a deep and rich flavor that was similar to his voice. When his tongue swirled and caressed the inside of her mouth, she tried to stifle a moan but when he squeezed her waist- she let it out anyways. And for a moment, she thought she felt him smile against her lips. 

Pressing her hands against his chest, she pushed up and wiped at her mouth. “That should be enough, right?” she frowned, and used her hand to cover the blush on her face. She never thought about Vincent in that way, but here she was, _kissing_ him as if his life depended on it.. When actually. It did. Her legs were still straddled over his crotch and she swore she could feel something hardening right under but she refused to believe it. Swinging her leg over, she gathered herself at the edge of the bed and turned to him. “Are you okay now?”

He used an arm to block his eyes as he mumbled. “Leave me alone to rest.”

“Tch,” Lady clicked her tongue with annoyance. _Ungrateful bastard._ Getting up, she walked out of the room and slammed it with a bit more force than she needed to. 

*******

Lady:Hey, I miss you!

She awaited a reply and grinned when a notification popped up on her phone. 

Noctis:  I can’t wait to see you. 

Then another. 

Noctis: The guys and I want to visit. 

Lady: Doitdoitdoitdoit. I’m so bored :( 

Noctis  : Why? 

Lady:Babysitting Vince, lol. Is my mom still there? 

Noctis:  Yep, she said we’re going on a road trip soon. With you. 

Lady:  Huh? 

Noctis:  Btw, did you get our messages in the group chat?

Lady immediately switched apps and saw that the old group chat was still online. And boy was it active. The people from Radiant Garden, Insomnia, and even Midgar were in the group chat; all of them talking to each other; whether it be information or just to catch up with what’s going on with their lives. It was nice to see. 

When she saw that a chat was booming with messages from different members, she decided to join.

Lady  : Hey guys :) guess what?

Lady  : Found the person who ruined my life! 

Roxas: Make them suffer. 

Lady then uploaded a picture. Of herself. Posed with a peace sign in front of a square-shaped mirror with Vincent laying, passed out, in the background. 

Tifa:  Is Vincent bleeding out back there?!

Lady:  This isn’t about him right now. 

Getting off of the chat, she took a moment to admire the alstroemeria flower adorning it as the official icon before turning her attention to the wounded man. She walked over and placed a hand on the back of his head; she was then alarmed when it felt steaming hot. Grabbing a cool towel that was resting on a bowl of ice on the nightstand nearby, she placed it on him and pressed down gently. 

Vincent responded with a soft grunt and softly murmured something. “...Sorry..”

Lady frowned, she didn’t know if he was talking to her or someone he saw in a fevered dream. 

She decided to humor him. “What are you sorry for?”

“I couldn’t… save you… Forgive me.” 

Lady let out a sigh. He was probably talking about Lucrecia, Sephiroth’s mother. She was a brilliant Shinra scientist who helped found the research on Chaos and Jenova. She was glad that the scientist found some peace in her after-life, but at what cost? She left behind a legacy paved with blood, as well as a son who grew up in the dark shadow of his obsessive father who saw him as nothing more than a lab rat. 

Getting up, she froze when she heard Vincent utter her real name followed with another apology. He wasn’t thinking about Lucrecia, he was thinking about _her_. 

_Ah, Vincent. You really do care after all_. Leaning down to wipe at his feverish forehead again, she put the cloth away and left the man to sleep. 

*******

Beneath 7th Heaven was a meeting room where Avalanche members shared their secrets and discussed plans on their next move against Shinra. Publicly dubbed as an ‘eco-terrorist’ group, they took the moniker off the chin and did what they had to despite the scorn they received. Lady understood their methods weren’t necessarily for pure destruction.. but she did wish they went about it a bit differently. 

In the room, lights and beeps went off. Connecting to a computer where Jessie worked away on the keyboard. She was a slim woman with big brown eyes and innocent smile; she conversed with the other two who sat behind her. Biggs and Wedge, two other members of Avalanche. Biggs was standing lax against the wall, he constantly ruffled his spiked dark brown hair and when he routinely made eye contact with Lady- he would flash her his most charming smile. Wedge on the other hand, with a round face and slightly pink cheeks, would look at Lady and throw up a hand to nervously wave at her. 

Despite their amicable behavior towards her. She knew that they were still wary of her and those who worked for Shinra before. The premise of her and the others acting as spies for Shinra were ridiculous, but she understood their caution. She would do the exact same if she were in their shoes too. 

When the other guests arrived in the form of a small animatronic doll and an old scientist, Lady relaxed but the other three tensed up more. Cait Sith and Professor Gast inspected the room and walked to greet her. 

“Lady, it’s a delight to see you again,” Gast shook her hand. “I never got to properly thank you for saving my life.” Professor Gast was the brilliant mind behind Shinra’s research on the Ancients. It just so happened that on his quest for knowledge, he met with Ifalna, Aerith’s mother. Though her mother was dead now, he remained and got to live happily with Aerith and occasionally helped the girl tend to her gardens in her house near Sector 5. It brought Lady joy that he received his happy ending that he wanted. It made her wonder when she would get hers. 

“I wouldn’t thank me for that messy attempt at saving you,” she smiled. _That day, it was more of a last ditch effort to push Shinra back. But of course, it ended badly._ “So, what news?” He threw a nervous glance over his shoulder at the three Avalanche members and they did the same to him. 

“Heya folks, mind givin’ us a wee moment alone?” Cait Sith said when he hopped up onto the table, his cat ears flicking to make sure he could pick up on an answer. 

“Uh, yeah- no problem!” Wedge was the first to get up but gave Lady another nervous wave that she responded to in kind. When Jessie and Biggs followed him out, Lady heard some of their conversation and it went something like this:

“Man, aren’t all the 1st Class pretty good-looking?” 

“Yeah, Cloud really is.”

“He’s not 1st Class though.”

“Yeah but Zack trained him, close enough.”

“I saw you have heart eyes for those _real_ 1st Class though, Jess- oof!”

“Says the dummy who turns into a stuttering idiot around the female one!” 

Lady hid her chuckle in the form of a cough and she looked up at Gast. “You were saying, professor?” Cait Sith bounded across the table and sat beside her on the edge. Both of their legs dangled over as the scientist took up a chair. 

“It’s about Deepground,” he said. “The ones Vincent is hunting, they call themselves the ‘Tsviets’.”

“Okay,” she tapped her finger against the wooden surface. “Soo what’s their deal?”

“They were born in Shinra labs. Tested on since birth- no, even before conception,” Gast seemed to have a sense of regret in his voice. That something so vile was happening right under his nose, and with some members of the department that he oversaw. “They’re powerful, more powerful than you can imagine. And in part, it’s thanks to you.”

“What do you mean,” her tone dropped and she leaned closer to hear his words clearer. Gast kept looking over his shoulders as if the room was bugged and Shinra would come in any moment to snatch him up. “Professor, what do you mean?”

He looked at her with tired eyes. “Did you ever give Hojo your DNA?”

That name made her want to retch. _That man, that fucking animal. I’m like this because of him._ “...What? Of course not, why would I?”

“The lab that you were created-” he stopped and searched for another adjective to use when he saw how she bristled, “-that merged you with Jenova. That was the last area that contained any trace of your DNA to use for testing. But have you given him any _after_ you escaped?”

“Professor,” she gathered her fingers into a fist. “I don’t know what you’re insinuating, but I wouldn’t touch Hojo with a ten-foot-pole.” When he didn’t respond accordingly, she shook her head. _There’s no way in hell I gave him anything_ She got up and began pacing around the room, thinking hard on the years where she was still running the apartments as a landlady and on that fateful summer when Shinra came to the town she was in. In truth, it was her fault for thinking she could ever escape their grasp. It seemed like her past had a way of always catching up to her. 

Pacing around in a circle, she stopped and her stomach dropped when she remembered something. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she felt like vomiting. There was no way, that was so long ago. _It couldn’t be_. 

“Professor,” her exhale was shaky and her mouth ran dry. “On that day you and I were driving back to Midgar.” She gripped the table to calm her quaking heart, “Hojo was there.” 

“And?”

“I killed him,” she murmured quietly, relaying the events in her mind over and over with Hojo’s face reappearing more vividly with each replay. “But before that… I spat on his face… You don’t think..?”

Cait Sith placed a paw on her hand and looked up at her. “It’s going to be okay, lass. You didn’t know.”

She knew that comment was supposed to assuage her, but it only further exacerbated her anxiety. Turning her attention to the scientist, her words came out in jilted harsh whispers. “You’re telling me they used my DNA to make these.. Tsviets? Are they copies of me?”

“No no,” Gast stood up. “They only used your genetic material to splice them with theirs…”

Her anxiety got worse and she had to take a seat, holding her face in her hands and massaging them up and down. “So what,” she finally looked up, “are they strong?” _What am I saying, of course they are! With the way Vincent was wounded.._

“It wasn’t just yours they used,” he knelt down in front of her and put a hand on hers. “They used those three as well.”

_Seph, Gen, Angeal..!_ “For what?” her voice strained. “What purpose would they need to manipulate our DNA like that?”

“For the same reason they experimented on you, lassie,” Cait Sith said. “To create the perfect monster.”

*******

“Can you tell me about the gods?”

“Again?”

“Pretty please?”

“Alright alright, one more time and then you really have to go to sleep. Otherwise Barret will be upset. Pinkie swear?”

Marlene wrapped her small finger around Lady’s and the latter motioned for her to come closer. Taking the invitation, Marlene jumped into her lap and handed her a pink ribbon. Lady began brushing out her hair, darkened by water as the girl just hopped out of the shower to get ready for bed. Combing out the stubborn clumps by hand, Lady braided the girl’s hair into a simple plait down her back. Humming as she did so, Marlene closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of fingers expertly working her hair. 

“There are six gods,” Lady started as she wrapped the ribbon around the finished product. 

“There’s Shiva-“

“Goddess of Ice and snowmen!” Marlene shouted excitedly. 

Lady smiled at Marlene’s giddy energy. “Very good. Then there’s Leviathan-“

“Goddess of the Seas, and all the pretty fish!!”

“Marlene,” she tutted. “If you know them already then why make me recite it again?”

“What’s ‘reh-site’?”

“Recite. It means to repeat words.” 

“Oh, okay.”

“Anyways, where was I? Ah, the Tidemother, that’s right. After Leviathan, there’s Ramuh, the Fulgarian, Titan, the Archaean and finally, Ifrit- the Infernian.” 

Marlene played with the braid in her hair and swung her legs while she sat off her lap. The little girl counted the Astrals by hand and Lady could see the gears working on her face as it did. “Let’s see,” she hummed, “Shiva, Leviathan, Ramuh, Titan, Ifrit..” When she counted five fingers, she looked up at Lady. “You said there were six of them, but I only counted five?” 

Lady’s lips turned into a tight line but forced a strained smile. “Right, forgot about the last one.”

“Isn’t it Ba-ba..ha-moot?”

“Bahamut,” she corrected her. 

“What’s he the god of again?”

“Him? He’s the god of war.” 


	16. XVI

Footsteps echoed loudly and rapidly down the hallway. Shouting and gunshots whizzed overhead followed by a panicked yelp. Lady and Reno, bound together at the wrists, rushed down the hall; their feet flying under them and their heavy pants combined to make a symphony of breathlessness. A bullet streamed through the air and grazed Lady’s ear as she ducked her head and urged Reno to run faster through a tugging of their arcane bond that wrapped around his right hand and her left. 

“You can’t run away from the boss!” The voices got even closer and it made them both pick up the pace. 

Lady held up the front end of her wedding dress as to not trip on the damned thing and Reno hurriedly unbuttoned the first three buttons of his collar to expose his chest that was rising and falling rapidly. She ran on the tiptoes of her white stilettos, making sure that she never pressed on the heel so as to not break that fragile part off. Turning around, she saw one of the goons gaining on them and she swiftly took off her lace veil and flung it at him- making him falter in his tracks and look at the discarded garment in his hand with surprise. 

“How do we get out of here?!” She cried as they rounded the corner with Reno catching her as she collided into him. 

The red-headed Turk pointed at the faraway window. “We jump!”

“Has our marriage already made you demented?! That’s insane! We’re seven stories up!” 

“I know, but do you wanna risk-“ he yelled and pointed behind him, “-them?” 

She gritted her teeth, the end of the hall was quickly approaching as was their window of opportunity- quite literally. If only she didn’t have these damn binds, she’d gladly pummel each and every one in this horrible place. When they were only three steps from the window, they both shielded their face and jumped through. The broken glass grabbed a hold of some of the fabric of her dress and ripped it off. Just before they reached the point of their trajectory, white wings unfurled from behind her and she and Reno flew off to where their pursuers couldn’t follow. 

**24 hours earlier…**

Lady massaged her forehead and looked down at her glass of orange juice, swishing around with colored vibrancy of which the fruit was named after. Her eyes measured the amount of pulp that floated around the froth and she made a face when she counted one too many. 

Tifa watched her as she dried glass mugs with a new rag. “Do you not want your juice?”

She raised her head. “No, lovely barkeep, I’ll gladly drink it.” Raising the glass in a toast to her, she downed it in one go and did her best to hide her puckered lips at the sour taste that violated her freshly brushed teeth and tongue. It tasted worse than a shot that contained far too much alcohol. When her phone rang, she groaned. “Ugh, this stupid bitch again.” Picking up her phone, she loudly announced who it was at the receiver. “What do you want, Reno?”

When Reno began hurriedly speaking, she had to hold her phone away at a distance just to avoid the static coming through. 

_“Please I need your help! It’s really bad!”_

“Sounds like an awfully personal problem.”

_“But I’ll DIE.”_

“Then perish.”

From the entrance of 7th Heaven, said caller burst in with not a care that others saw his wild display. Reno still had the phone to his ear as he continued talking to Lady. Striding over to where she sat down at the bar, he pulled her up by her arm and down the hall to a room where they could speak in private. Closing the door behind them with his foot, he slipped his phone into his pocket and approached her with seriousness etched all over his face. “I need your help.”

She frowned. “It’s still gonna be the same answer I gave you on the phone, Reno.”

He ignored her. “I need a girl for this.”

Lady crossed her arms. “Then why don’t you ask Tifa, or Aerith?! Why me?”

“Because,” he let out a huff and rubbed the back of his head. “Because they’re off limits.”

“What does that even mean?”

“Because my buddy Rude has a crush on Tifa and my boss Tseng has a little crush on Aerith, alright? You’re the only one I can ask without violating bro code!”

“‘Bro code’? You can’t be serious..”

“C’mon pleasseeee. I’ll pay you.”

This made her ears perk up. “How much?”

Now that Reno had her full attention, he made sure to not let go of it. “I’ll give you 300 gil.”

“400.”

“350.”

“375.”

“For fuck’s sake.. fine. 375”

Lady paced back and forth, placing a finger on her chin then holding it up to wag in front of his face. “I want a carton of that illegal wine you brought me that one time as well as Rufus’ room location inside the Shinra building.”

“What?!” It was his turn to be shocked. “You know I can’t do that, I’d get in sooo much trouble.”

“These are my terms,” she shrugged. “Take it or find some other girl to help you with your problem.”

Reno’s face scrunched up while he thought but fortunately for her, it didn’t take long for him to decide. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

_Jackpot_ , she thought. “Great, now what did you need me to do?” 

*******

Angeal observed Lady as she unpacked a small rectangular box from her bag. It was white with delicate pink lettering on it. Even when it was upside-down, he could still see the writing clear as day and it made him concerned. 

“Why do you have a pregnancy test?”

“A pregnancy test?” Genesis’ head popped up from the book of anatomy he was reading on a couch in the living room. 

“Don’t act dumb,” she hissed, remembering waking up naked on her bed with dried, white residue still sticking to her legs. She had to scrub her body extra hard that morning. “Says the men who creampied me…”

“What if it’s mine?” Angeal joked. 

“I’d want her to have your eyes for sure,” she entertained the notion. 

“You think we’d have a daughter?” He raised his eyebrows. 

“Yes,” she nodded. 

“And what about us?” Genesis called, not wanting to be ignored. 

“Twins,” she smiled. “A boy and a girl.” 

He scrunched up his nose at the idea of starting a family, kids weren’t exactly his area of expertise. He barely could deal with adults as is. “Why twins for me?”

“And why a daughter?” Angeal asked. 

Lady smiled wider. “Call it a woman’s intuition. Are you done with your drink?” She motioned to the fizzing, carbonated liquid in front of him. 

He took another gulp and sat it down. “Now I am. Why?” He watched as she reached over and swirled the leftovers of the drink more, watching the bubbles surface then promptly burst. Rising from her seat, she washed out the cup thoroughly with soap and water then sat back down; taking out the pregnancy test and to his surprise, watched as she placed it in the empty cup. 

“What are you doing?” 

“Don’t worry about it,” she hummed then retrieved another pack from her bag, a white bottle of clear fluid that she laid carefully next to the glass. Unscrewing and poking a hole through the plastic safety-seal with a toothpick, she then poured some of the liquid down into the glass where it reached the sample pad and began to soak into it. 

“What’s that liquid?”

“So many questions,” she said with an amused smirk. “It’s hCG, if you _must_ know.”

“What in the world is hCG?”

Lady cleared her throat, “Human chorionic-”

“Human chorionic gonadotropin,” Genesis spoke over her without turning his eyes from the book in his hand. 

“Alriiight.. And what’s its purpose?” Angeal was still confused. 

“Well hCG levels elevate during early pregnancy,” she explained all the while watching the liquid mixing with the strip. “Though we have some in our bodies that are already present, it’s not enough to mark a positive in this thing,” she pointed to the strip test and then to the bottle. “That’s why I have this.”

“Why do you need a positive test?” he raised an eyebrow. “And where did you even get that?” he pointed at the bottle of hCG. 

“A pharmacist in Sector 5 owed me a favor from a long, looong time ago. And this,” she tapped a fingernail against the glass container, “this is a medication for fertility issues. It’s not that uncommon, but mostly doctor’s are the one to inject it. Alrighty, I think it’s done.”

She got up to wash the glass and placed the pregnancy test on a paper towel left to dry. Grabbing her stuff, she headed into her room then after about twenty minutes, she exited. And her appearance made both Angeal and Genesis stop what they were doing and had their mouth agape. 

“What the hell- why do you look like that?” Genesis squinted. 

“I have to put on a performance,” Lady teased more of her hair with her fingers and ruffled it up even further. _At least I’m getting paid for this._

*******

“For the last time, buddy, you need to cough up that money or you’re really going to get it this time!” A finger jabbed Reno in the chest as a taller man with a heavy build and shining bald head pushed him back. The dark green tank top stretched over his muscles and looked to strain under the mass, if he were to push any further- they would surely break. He towered over Reno and the height difference made the redhead look puny. 

“Look.. I told you I had some issues, I couldn’t get the money right away,” Reno threw up his arms in defense. “But you’ll get it, promise!” They both stood in the Wall Market of Sector 6, where anything could happen. If he got dragged into an alleyway and gutted, no one would find his body for days. And even if they did find him, most would leave him there to rot. “Come onnn, Lurk- y’know me! I’m reliable!”

Lurk’s crossed arms, which looked like two beefy behemoths interlocked into a headbutting contest, unlocked and grabbed Reno by the collar. “Listen here, pretty boy. I ain’t scared to bash yer face in, got that?! You owe boss money, and it’s damn time you gave him some!”

Reno hung onto the arm that held him up as if he was a paper bag. “H-hey man, I-”

“ _RENO SINCLAIR!_ ” 

Both Lurk and Reno’s attention turned to the left where a woman in a loose dress stumbled towards them. One of her hands raised to her face to wipe at her eyes while the other clutched something tightly. When she got closer to them, they saw her face through the messily strewn hair- looking as if she spent the whole night tossing and turning in bed. From her eyes streamed black mascara and her lipstick was smeared across her lower right cheek; she sniffled loudly and wiped at her eyes again as the tears mixed with the makeup to make more stains on her skin. 

“My-” she hiccuped as she choked back on tears, “-my father was right about you! You, you.. You no-good _scoundrel_!” She tossed the thing in her hand at their feet and they both finally saw what it was. 

A pregnancy test that was positive. 

Reno tried to hide his smile when Lurk let him go. _Way to go, Lady! I knew I picked the right girl for the job._

“You don’t answer my messages.. my calls.. and now I find you here?!” she screeched, sniffing helplessly as she looked all around her. “I’m pregnant.. and it’s yours!” She strode over to Reno and pulled him by the arm. “You promised me you’d take responsibility! You.. you no-good, lousy- we were only at it for two minutes and you still managed to get me pregnant!!” 

_Okay, she’s laying it on way too thick_. “Sorry babe,” Reno slipped into his role perfectly and wrapped an arm around her waist to bring her closer. “This is a bad time, you shouldn’t be here. It’s dangerou-”

“I don’t care!” Lady buried her face in his chest. “I just want you to come back home!”

The redhead let out a hugely exaggerated sigh. “Baby you know I can’t. Ever since I put in all my money for _our_ wedding, I’ve been having to, ahem, _deal_ with some problems.” He shot Lurk a glare and the man seemed taken aback. 

Lady sniffed and looked at him with wide eyes. “W-wedding?” 

“Yeah,” he caressed her face and wiped some of the mascara from under her eyes, making his thumb turn black. “Remember what you always told me? That you wanted a wedding somewhere nice where we could see the countryside?” he stroked the back of her head, “Somewhere we can ride the chocobos off into the sunset?” 

She froze and tried to hide the cringe on her face behind a smile. She hated chocobos. Ever since one stomped on her during a mission years ago. “Right, the chocobos! Can we talk about it more at home, pretty please?” Every word that came out of her mouth made her want to vomit. Lady regretted signing up for this.

Lurk rubbed the back of his bald head. “Oh, uh, you never told me you had a girlfriend-”

“‘Scuse you,” Reno frowned. “She’s my fiancée now, got that? And she’s the reason I haven’t been able to get my money so soon, I wanted to make our wedding perfect.”

“O-oh, I see,” he extended a hand towards her. “It’s nice to meet you, uh..?”

Reno slapped his hand away. “She doesn’t like telling her name to strangers, ain’t that right, Lady?”

She bristled. He deigned to say her real name, yet unashamedly used her nickname. Which to her, is just as dangerous as revealing the one given to her at birth. “Right, babe!” she squeezed his arm behind his back. “You. Know. Me. So. Well.”

Lurk gulped hard. “I need to tell the boss ‘bout this. This changes things!”

“You’re damn right it does, tell him I said hi.”

They both watched Lurk go off down the streets of Wall Market and Reno let out a sigh of relief when he saw him disappear. “Thank a bunch, Lady. Here- 375 gil. And I’ll get you that other stuff tomorrow.” 

Lady’s face changed from that of a sniffling, distraught lover to that of an ice-cold hitman. She took the money from him and wiped her eyes and around her mouth to get rid of the residue makeup. “Pleasure doing business with you, ‘babe’.” And to her, that concluded their transaction. 

*******

Sitting at a table with Zack and Aerith, Lady rolled her head around and let out a tired sound. 

“So that was that? Nothing else happened?” Aerith had her chin on her hands. 

“Nope,” Lady closed her eyes. “That was it. Thank the gods.” When she leaned forward and opened her eyes, Aerith was already there, close enough to be able to see her bright green eyes. “Uhh?”

“Your eyes are so pretty,” she smiled sweetly. “They glow.”

“Mine glow too, y’know?” Zack pouted then smiled when the two girls gave him a weird look. 

“Yeah, but yours aren’t as pretty as hers,” Aerith giggled. “I guess I was lucky I know what mako eyes meant,” she nudged Lady. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to tell Cloud and the others about you.”

“That’s right,” Lady smiled then winked at her. “Thanks for that. I probably would’ve taken longer to get back to everyone if you hadn’t.”

Aerith nodded. “I should probably help out Tifa. You two hungry?”

“Nah,” Zack responded and Lady shook her head then she shrugged and walked to the back. When she disappeared behind the curtain that hid the kitchen, Zack scooted his chair closer to her. “So would you pretend to be my girlfriend too if I asked?”

“Only if you match Reno’s price,” she grinned then laughed when she saw Zack’s puppy eyes come out. “Don’t let Angeal hear you saying that.”

“Oh, that reminds me. What’s the deal between you and those three? I mean- they seem happier when you’re around. But are you dating one of them?”

Lady felt heat rise to her cheeks. “Well.. no, not really. I…” _I don’t really know what we are. Would it be too late to ask them?_

“No, right?”

“No.. no, I’m not dating the- one of them.”

“Then it’s settled.”

Zack leaned his face into his hands and stared at her with a goofy smile. “Aerith said your mako’s are better than mine. Wanna stare into each other's eyes to see which one really is prettier?” 

She stifled a laugh at his attempt to flirt. “You use that often?” 

“Only on people with the same eyes as us,” he shrugged.

“Tell that to Genesis, _I dare you_.”

He made a face. “Hell no! The dude already glares daggers at me, I wouldn’t wanna piss him off anymore.”

Lady was going to make a smart-assed comment about how Genesis’ bark was worse than his bite until Reno burst into the bar again and marched straight towards her. 

“We’ve got a big problem,” he said and pulled her up just so he could take her place in the chair then pulled her down on his lap.

“What’s the big idea?” she hissed then stopped when Lurk came through the door. His eyes scanned the room and landed on Reno. Thanks to the Turk’s bright red hair, it wasn’t too hard to spot him. When he approached them, the floorboards creaked heavily under his weight and she thought he might just fall through. 

“Quick, pretend that you like me,” Reno pulled her leg up with his hand and left it resting there on her thigh. 

“That’s going to be difficult,” she grimaced and threw Zack an apologetic look. 

“There you are,” Lurk said with the bulging behemoths that were his arms crossed over. “Boss wants to speak to ya.” His eyes went down to Lady’s left hand which was empty. Her appearance changed as well, she was no longer the heartbroken girl he saw earlier- but someone more calm and collected. He thought it was because she made up with Reno. “You didn’t even put a ring on her yet?”

Both Reno and Lady tensed up until he let out a nervous laugh, “Well.. I don’t really have a ring yet because it’s so damn expensive ya know?” he clapped a hand down on her shoulder. “Wanna make sure I get something nice for my girl.”

“Here,” Lurk handed them a small velvet box wrapped with a white ribbon. Reno took it from him and opened it, his green eyes twitching when he saw the shiny treasure lying within. “From the boss, he wants to congratulate you on your engagement.”

“Thanks, buddy,” Reno pocketed the ring but this made Lurk’s face darken. 

“You won’t propose to her right now?”

“Ah, look man. That’s not really my style-”

“A man should never be afraid of showcasing his love for his woman. I knew you were a cheapskate, Reno. But I never took you for a coward.”

This clearly struck a chord in the Turk as his face melded into a sour expression. From behind Lurk, she saw the entrance allowing Vincent and Sephiroth in. Vincent winced heavily when he took a seat, his crimson eyes instantly meeting hers when she looked his way. Sephiroth spotted her too, and she shook her head slightly to communicate ‘no, this isn’t what it looks like’. 

“Well?” Lurk tapped his foot against the floorboards and she felt the vibrations just from that action alone. 

She heard Reno swallow and prompt her to stand up. Turning around to face her, he got down on one knee and she looked away to her right to see Zack’s face look unabashedly shocked. Behind him, Aerith and Tita were looking equally surprised. Hell, even the Avalanche members were there with Cloud. All of them bearing witness to this joyous occasion. 

Reno opened up the box and held it up to her. A golden band studded with a large emerald and bordered with brilliant, bright red rubies. It was rather extraordinary for an engagement ring, and looked to be something expensive. Too expensive for her _or_ Reno to buy- even if they were to combine their shares. If she were to appraise it, with her amature skills, it would be about- 

“20,000 gil, fuck me. That’s a lot…” Reno muttered under his breath, apparently having the same idea as she did. Her stomach turned. 20,000 for a ring? Just who was this man that Reno messed with?! Whoever ‘boss’ was, he was loaded. 

Clearing his throat loudly, he held out his hand with the ring pinched between his thumb and forefinger. It shone under the soft gaslit lights of the bar and sparkled whenever he moved it, which she assumed was thanks to his nerves. But the tremors soon stopped and a determination set in his eyes. Determination to get out of this situation without getting his face bashed in by the 270-pound block of muscle standing behind him. 

“Lady,” he inhaled. “I know we’ve been together for years now..”

_Years?! I bet he doesn’t even know my favorite color._ She seethed but kept her face in a set emotion of mock joy. 

“And I know this is sudden, but..” he grabbed her by her left hand. “Will you marry me?”

“No.” Her answer was immediate and mostly due to her subconsciousness acting on her behalf but when her present mind took back control, she ignored the impulse to laugh when she saw Reno’s shocked and horrified face at rejection as well as Lurk’s disapproving glare pointed in his direction. She forgot that she had an obligation to fill. “I meant to say,” she cleared her throat loudly. “Re _-no,_ I… of course, I’ll marry you.”

When Reno slipped the ring onto her finger, she held in her breath and tried not to frown. The ring felt weird. Her thoughts were interrupted as the bar erupted into loud cheers and some of the men stood up to clap him on the back and shake his hands in a congratulatory manner. Lurk nodded approvingly and she kept nervously looking around her. She thought accepting the proposal would be the end of that. 

Boy, was she wrong. 

“Thanks, Lurk,” Reno wrapped an arm around his ‘fiancée’. “We’ll be sure to raise a toast to you at our reception.”

“Not so fast, Turk,” the man’s stern face returned. “Got one more thing I’m ‘sposed to tell ya.”

“What is it?”

“Boss will throw your wedding for you.” This made them both panic. 

“Oh, no no, we couldn’t possibly do that,” Lady laughed nervously. “You’ve done so much for us already!”

“Wow man, that sounds great, but, no,” Reno swallowed and forced a grin. 

“S’ok,” it seemed like Lurk didn’t bother listening to them. “Boss loooves weddings. He wants to sponsor yours.” 

“O-oh.. is that so?” From his peripherals, Reno saw her pupils dilate into thin slits as she growled. “That’s so _lovely_.”

“Yup, he wants you to come tonight.”

“Tonight?!” They both cried. 

“Boss keeps a packed schedule, but he made sure to open it up for you two.” From behind him, he took out another box that was tied to his back- originally concealed by his frame. He handed the package to Lady and she quickly guessed what was contained inside a nicely wrapped, red velvet box. Opening it, her guess was confirmed when she saw white silk inside. 

“How do you know this will fit me?” She mumbled aloud.

“I looked at your measurements.”

“Hah..” She bristled. She only knew this man for a few minutes and he already had her measurements. _Fantastic_. 

“Boss says I got good eyes,” he pointed at his oculars. “It’ll fit ya, guaranteed.” This made more chills skitter up her spine. “Well, I’m off. I’ll see the lovely couple later.” 

When she uttered those words that accepted Reno’s proposal, she had no idea just how much trouble they would bring. Suddenly that payment of 375 gil wasn’t worth it. 

*******

A sock in the jaw sent Reno back as Lady landed a square one right on his face. 

“You idiot, look what you got us into!” She screeched and strode over to him, picking him up by his collar. “Go back there- and tell them you’re making this shit up!!”

“No way!” He struggled against her iron grip. “They’ll kill me!”

“Then _die_ already!”

“Guys, c’mon,” Zack eased her hands away from Reno. “Don’t wanna start a fight in here.” The bar was empty of customers but still contained the people she knew. Avalanche members and ex-SOLDIER’s were there, looking their best to not appear amused at her expense. 

“What am I even supposed to say?!” Reno dusted off his clothes. 

Lady slipped the ring off her finger and held it towards him. “Take this, and explain to them- _nicely,_ that you’re a lying son of a bitch!”

“They’ll get so pissed-“

“Forget about them! I’m pissed _now_!” 

“You expect me to do what exactly?”

“I expect you to. Tell. Them. The. _TRUTH_.”

Zack pulled her back again as she was already getting too close to Reno and within very close proximity of launching another jab at him. She rubbed her closed eyes with her fingers and massaged her temples. “Look. Reno. Just go and I’m sure they’ll understand.”

“Lady,” Reno straightened himself up. “Please just do me this solid. Let’s have our fake wedding, and then that’s it. We can get a fake divorce afterwards even if it makes you feel better. They’ll let me go afterwards.”

“Hah!” She snorted loudly. “How is it even possible for a Turk to get into debt, you guys make so much more than us SOLDIERs!” 

Zack let go of her. “No way,” he turned to Reno, “is she being for real?”

“You didn’t know?” She laughed ruefully. “The Turks have a higher salary than we do. Isn’t that right?!” 

“You’re joking.” Zack’s shoulders slumped down. 

“Come on, tell them Reno,” she grabbed his face with both of her hands, squeezing his cheeks together until his lips puffed up and pointed it towards Zack, Cloud, and Sephiroth. “You Turks made way more than us Firsts ever did!”

“It’s true,” Vincent said from the back corner of the bar, holding a hand to his abdomen and wincing as he sat up straight. “We were the highest paid. Just below executives.”

“Oh my gods,” the puppy held his hands to his face. “My whole life has been a lie. And here I thought I was making it good..”

“I didn’t mind much,” Sephiroth shrugged. 

“Wha- you knew?!” Zack yelped and looked at him with a betrayed face. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“And ruin your dreams of becoming a hero?” The silver-haired man smirked. “Never.”

“With the stuff the 1st Class has to do, I’m glad I wasn’t in it. You probably get more money being a merc,” Cloud muttered under his breath but Lady shot him a pointed glare. 

“Wait,” Reno struggled to get his face away from her hands. “How could you know about our salary? That’s supposed to be confidential.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she snapped. “It’s ‘confidential’.”

“Whatever- Just.. just finish this with me,” Reno begged with his eyes. “And I promise, I’ll get you whatever you want.”

“I don’t know,” she let out a hefty sigh as she finally let go of him. “Okay- how much do you owe this guy? Maybe I can help pay it off instead.”

He muttered something quickly and unintelligibly under his breath so that she didn’t hear him. But she did pick up on the last bit of his sentence that sounded like ‘thousand’ something.

“How much. Reno.”

“....thousand.”

“A thousand? Okay not bad.. I think I can help-“

“Fifty thousand gil.”

The following silence in the room stifled her. It was so quiet that you could hear the hairs on Lady’s head shrivel and turn white from pure stress. And before anyone could stop her, she grabbed the Turk by his lapel and shook him violently. 

“Why in the _fuck_ would you be in debt by that much?! What did you do?!” 

“That doesn’t matter,” Reno grimaced. “What matters is the now and if you can help me out or not.”

“You’re asking for a lot,’ Lady’s nostrils flared. “I didn’t expect to be in this much trouble.. Why can’t you just ask Rude to help you out? Have him put on a wig and the dress.” 

“You’re jokin’, right?” he clapped down on both of her shoulders and shook her. “Look. Let’s just get this over with, just one more thing. Please?”

She scrunched up her nose and looked at the battered wood ceiling above her. Closing her eyes, she relented. “Fine. Let’s just get this over with. But we never speak of this again.”

They both shook on it. 

*******

“Oh, you look so pretty!” Aerith clapped her hands together and had Lady twirl around in the mirror. Lurk was right. It did fit her perfectly. The fact that he took her measurements so easily still creeped her out. _What a scary ability_. 

The wedding dress was white, of course, with a thin veil concealing her face in an array of sparkling white mesh. The hem was shorter at the front, ending right above her knees while the end trailed just below her ankles and would be brushing against the floor if it wasn’t for her white high-heeled stilettos. White lace leggings covered her legs and were held up by a garter belt that was scandalously revealed just under the end of her dress. Her hair was up in an updo, showing off her neck and the lack of jewelry that adorned her ears and décolleté area. The only piece of jewelry she had was the engagement ring borrowed to her that rested above the white elbow-length gloves she wore. 

Lady regarded herself in the mirror once more and though she agreed with Aerith, something didn’t sit right with her. “This isn’t how I pictured my wedding going.” 

“Were you ever planning to get married?”

She then shrugged and the veil fell off her shoulders to flow down her arms. “Maybe. It’s not something I think of a lot, but I do think about it. Sometimes.”

Aerith approached her. “Well whoever it’s going to be, I think they’re going to be very lucky to have you.”

“You think so?” 

“Of course I do! Now come on, let’s go show the others. Ah! But wait!”

“Huh?”

The sound of a camera snapping made her flinch and instinctively hold up a hand to cover her face. “What’s that for?” 

“For the group chat!” She smiled knowingly. “Come on. Union between a 1st and a Turk? Kinda romantic, right?” 

“More like horrible,” Lady muttered. “Of all the people in Midgar. Why’d it have to be Reno..”

“Would you rather have Johnny?” 

Her face scrunched up in disgust. Johnny was well-known in the slums, and not in a good way. Similar to Reno only in hair color and the fact that he strutted around showing his chest too. Aerith was right. If she had to pick one between the two, she would pick Reno one-hundred percent. Johnny was loud-mouthed and brash. But at least Reno had proper training to back up those snarky comments of his. 

Aerith glanced through the pictures she took of Lady on her phone and smiled at each one. “I’m sure my mom would love to see this! Maybe I should’ve asked her to bake a mock wedding cake, that’d be fun. And I’ll put my flowers to decorate it!... But then my mom would make me help carry it all the way out here, oof. What to do, what to do..”

Lady glanced at the brunette from the reflection in the mirror. “Hey, Aerith?”

“Mmm?”

“What’s it like? Having a close relationship with your mom?”

“...What do you mean? Don’t you and your parents-“

“Sorry. Forget I said anything. Let’s go.”

When they exited the room and went out to the bar. Eyes greeted them and she was half-in mind to flee when she saw two additional persons that hadn’t been there before. Rude and Elena, two other Turks from Shinra. 

“Oh gods,” Lady huffed and fixed her dress as she approached them. 

“Ooh, if it isn’t the lovely bride-to-be!” Elena clapped, her soft yellow eyes smiling when she saw her. 

Rude adjusted his darkened shades to get a better look at her. “Hey, aren’t you supposed to be-“

Lady was quick to walk towards him and placed a finger on his lips before he could speak anymore. “Dead? I was,” her eyes flashed. “But that’s a secret until I say it’s not anymore, got that?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He nodded dutifully. 

“All these Shinra folk..” Barret grunted and Tifa comforted him with a pat on the shoulder. “Dunno if I like it.”

“Relax,” Tifa told him. “They’re all friendlies.”

“Ain’t it bad luck for the groom to see the bride before a wedding?” Zack hummed. 

“Fake, this is a fake wedding,” Lady corrected him. 

Reno had on a tux that didn’t look that much different from his Turk uniform. And of course- his dress shirt was open and revealed a wide portion of his chest. Tutting, Lady walked over and buttoned it up for him until only the corners of his clavicles jutted out. 

“You’ll catch a cold, _dear_ ,” she smirked. 

“Anything for you, _dearest_ ,” he retorted. 

“Why are they here?”

“Rude here loves weddings,” he pointed at his bald-headed friend. “Elena’s just on break.”

“Remind me again why I can’t just get rid of your problem _another way_?” To demonstrate, she held out her hand and a long, silver sword appeared in a flash of light. “I could cut right through them-“

“NO!” All three Turks immediately reprimanded her. 

“Whoa..” Lady frowned. “Why are you all so..” Then it clicked and she grinned widely. “So the rumors about Shinra working with the underworld of Midgar, it’s all true, huh?” 

When they didn’t reply and avoided making eye contact with her, her smile widened even more. “Goodness me, this is rich. So, how much did that fifty thousand gil get you?”

“Not enough,” Rude admitted. 

“Barely enough weapons to last us..” Elena covered her mouth after those words split off and she looked over to Rude and Reno who both held their faces and shook their head. 

“You talk too much, Elena.”

Lady looked at the clock on the wall and saw the short hand turn to the number eight. “Nevermind all that, let’s just go.” _If anything, I could find a way to get some intel.. if I’m lucky._

Reno held out his arm towards her and she took it and together they walked out of the bar. 

*******

“If it’s any consolation, you look really good,” Reno said quietly to her as they approached a large building in Wall Market. She counted seven floors and saw that there were barely any balconies, just windows on a rectangular-shaped block made with red bricks. It was difficult to see any other exit besides the front door. 

“It’s not,” she chortled. “But you look good too. So, this it?”

“Yeah,” he adjusted his shirt and stopped when she shot him a glare. “Biggest weapons dealer in the slums, even Don Corneo can’t beat this guy when it comes to the good stuff. But only in weapons.”

“Would explain how he can afford so much,” she said as she turned the ring on her finger. “Come on then.”

Before they could even approach the door, a hole in the door opened and an eye bulged out to inspect the two. “Oh, Reno. We’ve been expecting you, come in.”

The door then allowed them inside and she saw who that eye belonged to. A tall man with a muscular build greeted them with a short bow of his head. His gray hair was cropped shortly to his scalp and matched the gray tank top he wore. He looked a lot like Lurk and she wondered if all the men in this building did. 

“This your girlfriend?” He grunted, looking her up and down, no doubt taking in her measurements as Lurk did and she bit back a sour retort as he did. “Pretty.”

“I know,” Reno wrapped a hand around her shoulders and brought her in close. “Ain’t I a lucky guy?”

“The luckiest,” she whispered out of the bouncer’s earshot but enough for Reno to hear and he tapped her shoulder in response. 

“Come on then, Lurk’s with the boss getting the venue ready. You guys will be the last.”

“Wait,” she spoke up. “‘Last’? What does that mean?”

The bouncer raised a thick, untrimmed eyebrow up. “Didn’t Lurk tell you that boss loves weddings? You’re not the only couple here getting ready to be married.” He spoke as he led them up flights of stairs; each progressing floor contained either the sounds of deep voices conversing or the ecstatic giggles of soprano-pitched women. 

Before she could wonder what those women were doing here, she decided not to. This was the Wall Market, anything goes at this place. 

“You can wait on the sixth floor,” the bouncer said. “Still gettin’ the place ready and might take a while. Plus, you’re the last couple boss wants to see so-“

“Yeah yeah, we can wait,” Reno assured him. “Don’t worry about it. Her and I can enjoy each other's company while you do that.”

“Oh honey I can’t wait,” she said in a sickly sweet voice. 

The bouncer led them up to a room with no door, only deep red velvet curtains that concealed whatever was inside. But she could guess what it was just by the sounds of soft moans that pierced through the heavy fabric. When he pulled the curtains back, her worst fears had been confirmed. Other couples were in the room, waiting their turn to be officiated. There were many girls in white dresses sitting down on the plethora of red loveseats that were strewn about, biding their time with their future wives or husbands. The same could be said for the men, they either had a girl they held hands with, or another guy. The one thing in common that they all had was that they were here for one thing. 

Lady and Reno were pushed in as the curtain slid close behind them and they looked at each other with bewildered eyes. The bouncer left them without a single word and they could only assume that the next step was to merely sit there and wait. They decided on an unoccupied love seat that was situated in the middle of two couples that were already getting antsy; their hands were tightly clasped each other and one were making out shamelessly- not that anyone else paid them any mind.

She sat a distance away from Reno, her body language greatly exuding a type of closedness and communicated that she didn’t want to talk nor touch anybody. He, on the other hand, leaned forward on his knees with his elbow. The couple adjacent to him followed suit of the one next to her and began to kiss. Lady focused on a spot on the ground between her shoes so she could avoid looking at anyone else. All around her, the unmistakable sounds of lovers cooing at each other and kissing filled her ears and she felt them get hot. 

Reno tapped her thigh with the back of his hand then gestured around them and she looked, even if she didn’t want to. His eyes were serious. “C’mon, we wanna look like we’re in love, right?” 

She felt her cheeks heat up. “Yeah, but- do we really have to-“ she looked at the couple on the couch beside theirs, shamelessly going at it, “- _do that?_ ” 

“We’re sticking out like sore thumbs.” When he said that, she took a quick glance around her and saw that some couple tossed them odd looks their way. They were the only couple there that weren’t.. well, being couple-like. 

Swallowing any further protests, she slid over as he leaned back into the couch to make room on his lap for her to sit on. To her surprise, and his, she moved her legs so that she nestled her butt directly on his lap with her body facing him. At least this way she wouldn’t have to see the other couples; the only view she had was of him and the wall behind and that was much more preferable. 

“Sorry,” she uttered quickly as she adjusted herself.

“I don’t mind,” he muttered as his fingers sliding down the curve of her waist. “Do you?” When she looked unsure, he helped her straddle him better by moving her thigh and waist simultaneously. “Still feel weird?”

“Kind of.”

“Are you.. ya know, a virgin?”

“Umm, no. You?”

He smirked. “What do you think?” And by that, she was given her answer. 

“Think of it as payment,” he continued. “I’ll make you feel good in exchange for all the trouble I caused you.” He leaned in close to her lips and she shook her head. 

“Don’t. You’ll smudge the lipstick and gloss.” 

“Huh,” he craned his head. “Shoulda went with liquid lipstick. It smudges less.”

“How could you possibly know about that?!” She felt hot when his hands slid closer to her ass. 

He winked at her. “Not my first rodeo, babygirl.”

Ecstasy-filled moans surrounded her and she felt intoxicated by the smell of lust in the air. _Oh gods._ How did this happen, how did she get here? 

Reno moved the veil up so that he could see her unfiltered face and tilted her chin up as one of his hands prompted her to scoot closer to him. He raised his face against her neck and gave it a quick nip to test the waters. When she let out a small yelp, he smiled and grazed the surface of her skin with his lips and tip of his tongue. Swirling against her neck, she could only hang onto him as he kissed her there under the pretense of a man who wanted to devote his life to her. 

She bit back a moan when he found the spot on her neck that made her weak in the knees and this alerted him, making his tongue press down harder in tandem with small suckles that made his lips pop with each hard-pressed kiss. He never grabbed her ass, only teetering dangerously close to it with his hands wrapped gripping her waist tightly. With her back hurting, she moved up slightly and accidentally rocked in his lap which elicited a small grunt from him. She wanted to ask if he was alright, but realized that her crotch grazed right over his- and it seemed to be hardening in that area. 

“Reno?” She gasped and his eyes opened to see couples begin to file out the room in the order they were called. 

Closing his eyes again, he focused on maintaining her attention on him. She didn’t need to see that- not yet anyways. “Yeah, babe.”

“Is that good? Do we look convincing enough?”

“Just a little more,” he said. “This is all just pretend, so no harm in it, right?”

Nodding, she squeezed her eyes shut as he lifted her off his lap and down onto the couch. Getting on top of her, he trapped her in with his arms and grazed the bottom part of her lips with a thumb- barely touching the makeup that’s been so carefully applied there. 

“You’d do anything to get a mission done,” he hummed with approval. “That’s what I like about you.”

Her eyebrow quirked. “What are you talking about?”

“Nothing, ignore that,” he murmured before diving down to plant another kiss on her neck. Lucky for him, it had no jewelry on it. Unlucky for her, it opened up an invitation for another round of his pretend foreplay.. not that it didn’t feel good. His hand hooked under one of her legs and brought it up as he ran his tongue up her neck. But before he could continue, a deep voice cleared their throat from the far corner of the room. Reno closed his eyes and groaned then looked up to see who interrupted him. “Kinda busy here, bud. Don’t you see me trying to romance my woman?”

Lurk stood with his arms crossed, a signature pose of his. “There’s plenty of time for that after. Come on, it’s your turn.”

“Already?” She shot up and nearly made Reno fall as she did. Looking around her, she noticed the room was empty and blushed furiously. She was too busy trying to control herself with Reno that she hadn’t noticed the couples leaving. 

“Come on. We saved the best for last.”

*******

With the burly men that stood all around the building and surrounded the ‘chapel’, she expected the man who commanded them to be equally jacked. But the boss, who stood in front of a fabricated altar made of gold-leaf pillars and white silk that draped down around the glass chandeliers, was a man of very short stature. His face was smushed up and made his features bigger than what was deemed proportionate. The stubby orb that served as his body was covered with robes that she assumed was borrowed from a priest. Tufts of gray-streaked hair was neatly slicked back and thoroughly greased, overshadowing the fact that the skin on his face was dry as a desert. 

His beady brown eyes sized up Lady and she tried not to say something sarcastic, less she risk ruining Reno’s plans. He motioned for them to approach closer and they did, with her hands intertwined with the Turk’s. Their footsteps were softened by the long, red carpet that led up to the parapet with the heart-shaped arch that was adorned with red roses. 

At only two feet away from him, they were motioned to stop by the line of muscular men who stood with baskets of flower petals in their hand. _Were they supposed to be flower girls?_ She returned her gaze to the small man in front of her and sniffed; that was when the stench of mako hit her nose and she struggled not to scrunch it. 

The boss looked at her with narrowed eyes. “Your eyes,” his voice sounded like a frog croaking. “They’ve a peculiar glow to them.”

_Shit_. She wanted to back away from him but Reno cleared his throat. 

“Contacts,” he explained quickly. “It’s a new fad in the slums since everyone looks so dull down there.”

The boss nodded his head in the pretense of accepting his lie then clapped his hands together and rubbed them enthusiastically. “I’ve been waiting for you two especially. I was in a rush to officiate the others so I can get to you two quickly.”

“You’re an actual priest?” She hid her shock well behind an innocent, wide-eyed gaze. 

“Being a man of faith doesn’t get you much profit,” he smiled and revealed his diamond-studded canines. “But I found dealing in arms to be much more.. _lucrative_.” As he spoke, he kept staring at her eyes and she glanced all around her to see that the other men had their eyes on her too. It made her skin crawl. “But enough about me, I’m here for you! Now, let’s see about making this-“ he motioned to her and Reno, “-official. Don’t worry, I’ll keep it short. I’m sure you two want to get to honeymooning already.”

He motioned for them to face each other and they did. 

“Do you, Reno Sinclair, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

His green eyes searched hers and he spoke without breaking contact. “Hell yeah I do.”

“Do you.. uh, Lady was it? Take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

She grasped his hands tighter. “I do.”

“Perfect, now will you two face me? And Lady, please hold his right hand with your left.” She did so and he cleared his throat. “Now, you two will be bonded by the holiest powers in the land and forever entwined until destiny demands it.”

It was then that she felt something crawl from her ring finger and clamp down tightly around her wrist. She looked down and saw the wedding ring transform into golden handcuffs that bound them together. Through the golden luster, she saw a subtle green glow linking between them and she cursed under her breath. Mako chains. It was feeding from her mana. 

Reno tried to shake it away and looked up at the priest with an angry scowl. “What’s the big idea?!”

The priest never took his eyes from Lady as he smiled. “You’ve realized what the chains are. But I would expect nothing less from the ‘Lady of the Lifestream’.” 

Both her and Reno froze. He knew who they were, he knew who _she_ was. 

“Those eyes of yours.. so lovely. Like jewels,” he licked his lips. “The Tsviets will be happy to have them.” All around them, the ‘flower boys’ retrieved weapons from deep in their baskets: handguns, knives, the works. They had Reno and Lady surrounded. 

“Deepground sends their regards,” the priest cackled loudly and motioned for the men to ambush them. 

Lady gritted her teeth and focused her mana in a circle around them. The air around her crackled and her breath became a cold fog and soon the men and priest found their legs encased in freezing blocks of ice. 

The priest yelped and tried getting his feet away from the unbelievably cold block and whistled loudly. “Boys! Get them!” 

From a back door, more men appeared and she remembered all the others that she saw when they scaled the building earlier. She moved forward as her sword brandished in her hand and lifted herself with her left leg to jump but found herself stuck. Looking back, she saw Reno trying to get his gun hidden inside his coat pocket. “Come this way!” She cried. 

“I need to get my gun!” He responded back and stubbornly stood still. When he finally retrieved it, he let out a triumphant ‘aha’ before it was knocked out of his hand by a nearby thug. When he scrambled down to get it, he pulled her down with him and she struggled to hold herself up but stumbled back when the thin heels of her stilettos slipped from under her. 

“Damn it, Reno!” When the men ran towards them, she groaned. There was no way they could fight like this gracefully and Reno was too stubborn to cooperate. Focusing another blast of ice that froze the backup in place, she tugged on the chain that held them together. “Forget your gun, let’s GO.”

Getting up, they both hopped over the ice that coated the wood floors and tore through the doors to look for an exit.

Footsteps echoed loudly and rapidly down the hallway. Shouting and gunshots whizzed overhead followed by a panicked yelp. Lady and Reno, bound together at the wrists, rushed down the hall; their feet flying under them and their heavy pants combined to make a symphony of breathlessness. A bullet streamed through the air and grazed Lady’s ear as she ducked her head and urged Reno to run faster through a tugging of their arcane bond that wrapped around his right hand and her left. 

“You can’t run away from the boss!” The voices got even closer and it made them both pick up the pace. 

Lady held up the front end of her wedding dress as to not trip on the damned thing and Reno hurriedly unbuttoned the first three buttons of his collar to expose his chest that was rising and falling rapidly. She ran on the tiptoes of her white stilettos, making sure that she never pressed on the heel so as to not break that fragile part off. Turning around, she saw one of the goons gaining on them and she swiftly took off her lace veil and flung it at him- making him falter in his tracks and look at the discarded garment in his hand with surprise. 

“How do we get out of here?!” She cried as they rounded the corner with Reno catching her as she collided into him. 

The red-headed Turk pointed at the faraway window. “We jump!”

“Has our marriage already made you demented?! That’s insane! We’re seven stories up!” 

“I know, but do you wanna risk-“ he yelled and pointed behind him, “-them?” 

She gritted her teeth, the end of the hall was quickly approaching as was their window of opportunity- quite literally. If only she didn’t have these damn binds, she’d gladly pummel each and every one in this horrible place. When they were only three steps from the window, they both shielded their face and jumped through. The broken glass grabbed a hold of some of the fabric of her dress and ripped it off. Just before they reached the point of their trajectory, white wings unfurled from behind her and she and Reno flew off to where their pursuers couldn’t follow. 

*******

Lady and Reno sat on a bench in a derelict part of the Sector 6 slums. People who passed them by paid them no mind, but those who did took in the sight of a woman in a torn bridal dress and a man with his suit ripped in places- most importantly, they looked at the handcuffs that held the two together. 

Reno sat back on the bench and dug in his pocket for something until he fished out a small box that was well-weathered and crumpled. Flicking it open with a thumb, Lady watched as he took out a slim cigarette and held it up to his lips. He then returned to his pocket, using the same hand that wasn’t bound to her, to look for his lighter. Rustling around in his pocket, he frowned when he came up empty. “Damn,” he cursed. “Musta dropped my lighter back there.”

“You smoke?” She said with raised eyebrows. 

“Stressful job,” he explained and she nodded, not needing anything more than that.

After a few seconds of watching him, she tugged on the arcane chains that bound them. “Need a light?” 

He nodded and turned his face towards her as she held up a pinkie with a small flame circumferencing the tip. The white tip of his cigarette blackened by the fire and shortened as he did a slow inhale. Leaning back, he thanked her with a nod of his head and exhaled the smoke through his nostrils. 

“Smoking kills,’ she said when she extinguished her flames. 

“Not like Turks have a high life expectancy anyways,” he shrugged and took another slow drag with a white cloud covering his face as he talked. “Neither do SOLDIERs, right?”

“Mhm,” she nodded solemnly. “Cell degradation due to mako.” Closing her eyes, she thought of herself and the others. _Not unless they were cleansed in some way._

Reno saw her expression and fished out another cigarette. When she opened her eyes, she saw the cigarette in front of her face. The tip was pointed out with the butt near her lips. She never tried smoking, but hell- maybe this would help her foul mood. Opening her lips, Reno tucked it in her mouth and before she could light it up herself, he leaned in close and brought the tip of his to hers. Their lips didn’t connect, only their cigarettes did. And through the rising smoke, she saw how his bright emerald eyes seemed to dull- like he was tired. 

He backed away when he saw that it was properly lit and she inhaled it as she saw him do and coughed when the unpleasant tobacco entered her lungs. It felt like charcoal sliding down her esophagus and she quickly held it away and batted the smoke from her. 

“It’s not for everyone,” Reno mused as he watched her try to wave the cloud of tobacco away. “Here.” He took the cigarette from her and tossed it on the ground in front of him and quickly stomped it out with a polished shoe. His eyes slowly glanced up at the dark plate covering the sector and he made a small squiggle in the air with smoke. “Man, what a day.”

Looking down at their bonds, she let out a sigh. She would need to figure out how she could fix this- and soon. 

“Reno.”

“Mm.”

“I hate you.”

“I know.”


	17. XVII

Domestic bliss was not something that Lady could settle on. Not right now at least. Every strike of magic, any blunt blow, any sharp instrument inflicted on the chain that connected them only seemed to make the chain stronger. Slumping back, she groaned loudly and after a couple minutes of pondering her life choices, she would summon her sword again and stab at it. 

Reno watched with boredom, as she hammered away at the chains. Her forehead had beads of sweat on it as evidence that she’d been at this for- he glanced at his watch- about two hours now with no effort to show for. 

“Maybe you should stop,” he said.

“Don’t talk to me,” she growled. 

From the bar, Tifa and Aerith watched helplessly as the table that the two sat on were being violated by Lady’s constant batterings. She assured the two that she had placed a barrier over the frail wooden frame to avoid any damage, but with the way she hammered at it.. Tifa wouldn’t be surprised if she blew a hole right through the table and to the floor. 

“Shit!!” Lady cursed loudly and leaned back in her chair. “It’s just a chain, why can’t I get it off?! It’s magic, it has to be.” She lifted her hand up and inspected the thing with squinted eyes. “I see, it takes my blows and hits and converts them into energy to maintain it. Clever.”

“There’s no way that priest made it,” Reno muttered. 

“No,” she agreed. “Deepground probably provided them with this if they knew who I was. Knew I didn’t like priests.”

“What’s your deal with holy people?”

Lady didn’t answer and buried her face in her hands. Meanwhile, Aerith tapped away on her phone and held it up for Tifa to see. On the screen was the open group chat and a picture of Lady in her wedding dress. Below it was a message from her that said: ‘Say hello to Mrs. Sinclair!’

Not long after she sent that picture, she received an influx of messages from all participants in the group chat. Most of them expressing concern over her choice of partner. 

Prompto: Is this forreal? 

Elrena:  wtaf

Sora:  CONGRATS!

Noctis: Is this a serious thing? Orrrrrr

Aqua:  I didn’t know she married. 

Terra: Neither did I… did we miss something?

Roxas:  I didnt know they had a thing… wtf 

Lea:  a wedding?w/ my twin?

Xion:  Wait. Why weren’t we invited?

Lady looked at her phone that was pinging constantly and when she saw the chaos within, she looked up at Aerith. “What have you done?” Logging in, she decided to clear the air. 

Lady:  It was fake. Calm down. 

Reno:  It wasnt. Remember? Dude was a real priest. 

Lady looked up to see Reno texting on his phone with one hand as she was. Looking up at her, he gave her a subtle nod before returning to his phone screen. 

Noctis:  waaaaiitt, so this IS real?

Lady:  NO

Reno: Yes

Isa:  What? No invite?

Xigbar: Was there cake?

Reno: Nvr 2 l8 for a bachelor party. 

Lady:  Excuse us, we’re going to have a little domestic spat. 

Slamming down her phone, she bared her teeth at her husband. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Just having some fun,” he shrugged. “There’s no harm in it.”

“You say that now, but if Genesis sees this-“

As she said that, the doors to 7th Heaven were forcefully opened and Genesis walked in with a storm on his face. His phone was gripped tightly in his hand and still had it open to the group chat. _Speak of the devil_. The worst that she predicted came to pass. 

“You,” the auburn-haired soldier pointed at Reno. “You little Turk.”

“That’s me,” Reno gave him a lopsided grin. “What’s up?”

Genesis strode over to him in precisely seven steps and swiftly grabbed Reno by the lapel of his torn tuxedo which made Lady stand up too- but only because the chains made her. 

“Don’t ‘what’s up’ me,” he sneered. “What kind of bureaucratic nonsense did you get her into?”

Reno frowned. “How could you even tell what type of nonsense it is?”

“What other types would the Turks get into trouble with that they would ask an elite fighter?” Genesis’ eyes glowed dangerously. “And what’s this I hear about marriage?”

“Leave my husband alone,” Lady patted her hand on Genesis’ shoulder. “We just gotta get these chains off is all.”

Gen’s eyes never left Reno’s and neither did the hostility in his voice. “I could set you on fire, right now.”

“Please don’t, I’ll get burned as well,” she shook the handcuffs near his face where he could see it. “But once I get these off, you’re free to do as you please.”

The soldier’s hands set the Turk down and glanced at the arcane bonds. “Do you require assistance with those?”

“Possibly,” she said. “Think you can manage?”

“Wait!” Tifa exclaimed. “Not here! You’ll tear the place down!”

“Outside then,” Genesis motioned for them to follow him out of 7th Heaven and towards an alleyway that led to a secluded area with nothing more than junk and rats the size of small dogs scuttling about. He pointed at the spot where they were to stand and they did so obediently. “Now, hold your hands up high.” He nodded with satisfaction when they did with the chain held taut between them. “Good girl.”

Reno put a hand over his chest and appeared pleased. “Aw, thanks!” 

Genesis scrunched up his nose. “Obviously not you.”

“Just having some fun,” the Turk sighed. “Come on then, give it your best shot.”

Genesis drew back his hand as fire began to form into his fingers; it turned into vectors that left his palm and flew towards them. Reno shut his eyes and turned his face away while Lady maintained eye contact with the soldier as the fire struck their chains and was promptly absorbed by it. Reno opened his eyes and looked up, when he saw that they were still, regrettably, bonded still, he smacked his lips. 

“So it does still absorb magic,” Lady murmured to herself. “Even if it’s not mine.” 

Reno looked to her in surprise. “You’re telling me this was just an experiment of yours?” 

She shrugged in response as Genesis approached them with a rather grumpy face. “It’s alright,” she reached over and patted his cheek. “I couldn’t get it off either. It’s not you, it’s these.” She said while shaking the chains. 

“What do you intend to do about them now?” He asked her. 

“Hey, your buddy Sephiroth game for slicing up some chains?” Reno asked them. “He’s pretty strong, right?”

Lady appeared offended. “Reno, I’m strong too. If I couldn’t get the chains off, what makes you think he can?”

“‘Cause he’s Sephiroth!” 

“‘Cause he’s Sephiroth!’” she retorted in a mocking voice that shabbily matched his. “Just because he’s well known doesn’t mean he can do better off. Stop trying to put him up on a pedestal!”

Reno raised his hands up. “Don’t get so worked up, I was just suggesting a way out of this mess.” 

“If magic doesn’t work, perhaps physical strength?” Genesis offered. “It doesn’t contain mana, just pure muscle which I’m sure those chains can’t absorb.”

“Fuck me,” she huffed and at this Genesis smirked and she quickly told him to ‘shut up’ with a glare. “Either that or we’ll need the key-“ She stopped, her eyes lighting up as a solution crossed her mind. “That’s right,” she repeated, “we’ll need a key. Oh why didn’t I think of this sooner?”

“What are you thinking?”

“Reno!” Rude slipped in through the chain-link fence towards them, his dark shades reflecting the sunlight that came in through the cracked plates far above Sector 7. “You weren’t at HQ, Tseng was looking for you.”

“Shit,” Reno groaned. “Now? Ugh, guess I have to.”

“Woah, wait!” Lady tugged him backwards when he dragged her along. “You’re not seriously thinking of taking me to work with you, right?!” 

“I can’t just not show up to my job!” He exclaimed, pulling her along. 

“Well you can’t just take me there!” She shrieked and pulled him back. “I’m pretty sure I’m not allowed!”

“You’re my wife now, I’m sure they won’t mind tagging you along.” He gripped the chains with both hands and tugged. 

She dug her heels into the dirt. “What if your wife doesn’t want to come to work with you?!”

“Then we need these off! Wish someone strong would punch through them or something..” He gritted his teeth and they both made eye contact then they turned their heads towards Rude. 

“Oi, Rude,” Reno whistled. “Up for some punching?”

“Uh-“ 

They both approached him and held the chain up to his face. “Hit this.” 

Rude looked at both Reno and Lady and shook his head. “I don’t hit women.”

“You’re not hitting her, you’re hitting this!” Reno pointed at the handcuffs. “Come on, partner, I need you here!” 

“Just one punch,” she begged. 

Rude peered at her over his shades. “No.”

“Ruuuude!” It was no use. “Fuck it.” The other Turk wouldn’t budge and so Reno groaned loudly before bringing his fist back and striking him across the face. “Come on!”

The resulting impact made Rude’s shades fly off his face and the Turk picked them up just in time to see the fragile lens fall off. Rude sighed and let them drop to the ground then reached into the inside of his suit jacket. “I told you,” he said as he pulled out another pair of identical shades and placed them back on his face, “I don’t hit women.”

“Well think of me as a man,” Lady said. 

“That’s going to be difficult,” Genesis snorted. 

“We’re wasting time,” Reno shook the pain off his hand. “He ain’t gonna budge. Shit, you have a tough face!” Tucking his offended hand to his pocket, he stood up straight. “Okay enough messin’ around. I gotta work.”

“Nonono, we are _NOT_ marching into Shinra with me tied up to you!” Lady hissed and stopped him. “Gen, help me out here!” Genesis grabbed onto her arm while Rude onto Reno. Both respective parties tugged on their person as Reno and Lady argued in the middle. 

“We can’t!”

“I have to work!”

“Does that really matter?!”

“If they count me as missing, then they’ll get suspicious!”

“But if you go with me, that’s also really damning!”

Reno stopped struggling. “So what do you propose we do, huh?”

Lady sniffed, blinking a few times and looking up at him with a smile. “I’ve got an idea.”

*******

Lea looked at both Reno and Lady with an odd expression. “Soo.. you called me here for what?” 

Lady handed him a bag of clothes. “Put this on and then come back. Go on.”

“But-“

“Shoo!”

Lea muttered something under his breath and walked to the back of 7th Heaven to do as he was told to. 

“Do you really think this is gonna work?” Reno asked her. 

“Yeah, you guys are practically twins,” she hummed. 

He made a face. “We don’t look _anything_ alike.” 

“Have you checked your vision lately? ‘Cause you must be blind.”

“Why did you want me to wear this?” Lea walked out, patting down the front of his black suit jacket. 

Lady gasped upon seeing him. “Perfect! You look just like Reno!”

“Hell no,” Lea wiped off a piece of white lint on his shirt. “Why am I in this get-up anyways?”

“Because you’re going to be working today,” she said as she tossed him Reno’s electrified baton with the Shinra logo emblazoned on it. “Just for today.”

Reno frowned. “So this is your grand idea? Have him fill in for me? We don’t even look anything alike!”

Zack walked in with a yawn and stretched his arms far above his head; when he passed by Lea, he greeted him with a smile. “‘Sup Reno, whatcha doin’ here?” He stopped when he saw Reno sitting beside Lady and then looked back to Lea. Back and forth until he rubbed his eyes quickly. “I’m seeing double..”

“See?” She grinned and got up to motion for Lea to take her place. Once there, she pulled out a bag and dumped out the contents which happened to be cosmetics. 

“What is that for?” he asked nervously. 

“You’re missing his marks,” she said as she gestured a finger under her eyes. “That’s a dead giveaway.” From the array of cosmetics she acquired just this morning, while some she already owned- she got to work. Taking a pencil and concealer, she worked on his brows first; masking them with the concealer first before drawing hairs in using a light brown to match Reno’s. The tricky part was matching Reno’s marks exactly and made sure they would hold for a whole day. A waterproof eyeliner pen would work. Tracing a straight line, she tutted when he squirmed underneath her touch. “Stop moving,” she scolded him and began drawing in the lines again. It wasn’t the fact that she was drawing on her face that made him nervous- it was the proximity. Her face was so close, that he could count the veins near her pupils. 

She was so focused on her work that she didn’t even notice the rest of the 7th Heaven gang file in to do their morning duties or work on some stuff of questionable legality. After drawing with the red eyeliner, she began patting down translucent powder then spraying it on with setting spray. She then continued to blow off the leftover powder softly with her lips and stood back up to admire her work. Moving Lea’s chair beside Reno’s, she put her forefinger and thumb up on both hands and used it as a makeshift frame to see the both of them. 

“It’s missing one thing,” she frowned then snatched the aviator goggles from Reno’s head and placed it down on Lea’s head before gathering his hair and tying it back to a single ponytail going down his back. “There we go!” she said, grinning at her handiwork. 

Sure, Lea’s hair was shorter than Reno’s, but when it was tied back like that it was practically indiscernible. Plucking a few strands of his hair to hang over the goggles, she stepped back and presented the two to whoever it was that walked into the bar. 

“Wow,” Cloud said with the least bit of emotion in his voice. “This your twin?”

“You guys look so similar!” Aerith grinned. 

“We don’t look _anything_ alike,” they both shouted in unison then turned to each other in surprise. 

Tifa cocked her head in amazement. “They even sound the same.. wow..”

“Rude,” Lady turned to the other Turk who was waiting patiently by the bar. “He’s your partner for the day!”

“Woah, hold on a damn minute,” Lea shot up and walked to Rude. “What am I even supposed to do? Weren’t you the one who told me that Shinra is bad news?” He turned to his newly attained partner. “What do we even do?”

“Well,” Rude pushed up his glasses and cleared his throat. “To put it simply: we do their dirty work.”

“Why do I always get stuck with the dirty work,” Lea grimaced. “We’re just henchmen? Greeaattt. How long do I have to keep up the charade?”

“Just for today,” she reassured him. “Just act like Reno and you’ll be fine.”

“And how do I do that?”

Lady smirked. “By being yourself. Now go on, shoo!”

“Come on, uh, partner,” Rude motioned for him to follow and Lea did so with an unhappy look. Before they left, Lea turned back towards her with an accusatory finger. 

“You owe me for this!” he yelled. 

“Yeah, yeah,” she waved him away and focused her attention back on Reno. “Now, you and I gotta travel today.”

“Where we going?”

“Radiant Garden.”

“And how do you suppose we get there?... Wait, maybe we can snatch up one of the helicopters that Shinra has!”

“Wow! What an excellent idea and totally not risky!” Lady got up. “Or? We could just fly ourselves.” Her wings jutted out of her back as she gave him a bored look. “Coming with?”

“Do I climb on your back?” He said as he approached her.

“I’d rather you not,” she scowled when he got a little too close to her backside. In one swift motion, she lifted him up in her arms and carried him as one would a bride. “Don’t wait up, okay guys?” She said to the ones near the bar and she drowned out Reno’s protests as she marched out the door with him in her arms. Making sure, no one would see them, her wings spread out farther and carried them off into the sky. 

What she should’ve done before she left, was take a closer look at the alleyway leading to the scrapyard she was in earlier. If she did, she would’ve seen a person with their face concealed by a dark hood that lurked in the shadows- watching her closely. 

*******

Xigbar looked up just as a large bird-shaped shadow crossed the path in front of him and saw Lady descend from the sky with Reno tucked safely in her arms. Her wings disappeared and she set Reno down with a sigh then proceeded to stretch her arms and wind them up in circular motions. “Fuck, you’re heavy.”

Reno looked offended. “What? No, I’m not.”

“You start to get heavy when I’ve been carrying you for an _hour_ ,” she reminded him. 

“What’s this?” Xigbar smirked. “The happy couple decided to pay us a visit?”

“Ha-ha,” she laughed dryly. “You wouldn’t happen to be a secret Keyblade wielder, right?”

“Hm?” His lips seemed to tighten to a thin line. “Why you askin’?” In response, she held up her hand that was cuffed and Xigbar took in the sight of her tired face as well as Reno’s and he nodded in understanding. “Both of you kinda look like shit, have you slept?”

“No,” they both answered and rubbed at their eyes. 

“I’m not sleeping with him in the same bed,” she bristled. 

“Come on,” Reno frowned. “Can’t be that bad.”

She ignored him. “Who’s all here? Roxas? Xion? Sora?”

“You came at a bad time,” Xigbar told her. “They’re all gone.”

“What?! What do you mean gone?!” 

“They all went out on missions, investigating and such- Lea was supposed to go to, until you called him.”

Lady then smacked her forehead in disbelief. “I can’t believe I forgot. Lea can summon a Keyblade too! SHIT.” She turned to Reno and held out her arms for him to jump in. “Maybe we can still catch him before he gets into the building?”

He shook his head. “He’s probably being briefed as we speak.”

*******

“So, as I’ve said before,” Tseng spoke with a clear voice that echoed easily in the small metallic room. His long black hair swayed far below his shoulders as he paced and talked to the other Turks gathered in the room. “Avoid unnecessary fights, and try not to compromise our integrity…”

Elena, a young woman with chin-length blonde hair looked past Rude’s chest to see the redhead standing beside him. “Psst, Reno.. Reno!”

Rude kicked Lea and the redhead perked up and responded to his false identity. “Uh, yeah that’s me, what’s up?” 

“Did you get a haircut?” She asked, gesturing to his ponytail which was usually long and sleek but now it was short and slightly unkempt. 

“Yeah, kinda,” he stood with his back straight up. “Long story.”

“How’d it go with that priest last night?” she asked him again. 

“It went.. well..?” He didn’t know how to answer. He had no idea what the hell she was talking about and judging by the look that Rude gave him, he clearly wasn’t bluffing well. 

Elena made a face. “You don’t seem very sure, are you okay?”

Before Lea could respond, Tseng cleared his throat loudly. “Reno! Elena! Is there something you want to share?”

“Uh, no sir!” She quickly bowed her head. “Sorry, sir!”

Lea didn’t know what to say to Tseng so he simply pretended that the black-haired Turk was Xemnas and responded accordingly. “No problem here, boss.”

Tseng turned his steely eyes towards the two of them, including Rude and folded his hands behind his back. “The rest of you are dismissed. Reno, Rude, Elena, you three stay here.” As the other Turks filed out of the rooms to do their duties for the day, the three were standing with an about-face as Tseng approached them. The tilak on the middle of his forehead changed from a perfect oval to a slightly smushed organic shape when he furrowed his brows together. “How did it go last night, Reno?”

Lea squeezed his hands behind his back and rapidly searched for an answer. “It didn’t really go well.”

“And the money?”

Rude had quickly briefed him on everything Reno had accounted for that night, including the showdown with the priest and almost everything he said. But that was all he had to go on, so he made do. “The priest knew what we were up to from the get-go. Had a trap waiting for us at the end of it too. Ended up with nothing and getting married to..to… ahem.”

“To who?” Tseng raised an eyebrow. 

Lea nervously looked to Rude. He didn’t want to reveal that Lady was alive, especially not to the leader of the Turks. What could he do? 

“It’s alright, Reno,” Rude patted him on the back. “You can trust him.”

Tseng shot Rude a peculiar look before turning his attention back to Lea. “Are you talking about _that_ woman? The creation of Project SIREN.”

Lea hesitated before answering. “Y-yeah..”

“Wait,” Elena seemed surprised. “You’re talking about that landlady? What about her?”

“She’s alive, it seems,” Tseng said quietly as his eyes hardened; looking up at the three of them, he made sure to hold their gazes individually. “This information stays between us, alright? No one can know, not even the president.”

“But, sir-”

“I mean it, Elena,” Tseng snapped. 

“Permission to speak freely,” Rude asked. 

“Granted.”

“Why keep this hush hush from Rufus? Shouldn’t he know?”

Tseng looked down at the tips of his polished work shoes. “I owe that much to her.”

Lea frowned. “Why is that?”

Turning around so that they couldn’t see his face, Tseng continued. “Three years ago, I couldn’t put my personal feelings aside and helped bring in Professor Gast and Lady. If it weren’t for me.. They would’ve made it to Midgar safely.” 

“So you’re the one that ratted them out,” Lea clenched his fists and started towards him until Rude held him back. “Was it worth it? What made you do that?”

“A girl that I care for deeply,” Tseng said before turning around with a small smile. “You’re not really Reno, are you?”

Lea was taken aback. “How did you-?”

“Did you really think I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference?” He was amused. “I work closely with my team every day.”

“Hmph,” Lea turned his nose up. “Thought I made a good impression.”

“You did,” Tseng admitted. “Nearly had me.”

“What gave it away?” 

“Your uniform,” he gestured to the buttons and how neatly they tied up. The one detail that Lady forgot- to expose his chest. “Reno hates wearing it like that.” 

“Damn,” Lea remedied that by undoing a few of his buttons until his chest jutted out. “Can’t have anyone else noticing, can I?” 

“Well, since you’re here. I might as well update you on the true nature of this meeting,” Tseng handed him a USB. 

“What’s this for?”

“All the information we have on Deepground so far. It would be best if you keep your mouth shut about it. We assume there’s moles about,” Tseng put a finger over his lips. “If you could hand that over to your landlady at the earliest convenience, that would be helpful.”

*******

“I need to shower,” Reno announced. 

“What?!” Lady pulled back. “No way!” 

“Come on,” he pleaded. “I still have blood on my shirt from when we jumped out the window.”

She bit her lip then reluctantly nodded. Though it was his idea to jump out the window, she was the one who pulled him under her and no doubt scraped his skin on the broken glass. She owed him this at least. Getting up to lead him to the shower, she opened the door for him to step in first and he did so. The ‘getting undressed’ part was not as awkward as she thought it would be; she simply turned her head away and waited for the shuffling and rustling to stop. A simple tug made her follow him, walking backwards with her eyes closed as he moved the shower curtain aside and stepped in the tub. 

“So,” he said. “How are we going to do this?”

“What do you mean?” Her face was still turned away. 

“I need to scrub my body you know, either you help me or-”

“Use your other hand!” she cut him off. 

She heard him picking something up and then shortly afterwards she heard the familiar sound of a shampoo bottle dropping loudly onto the tub floor. When he bent over to pick it up, she moved down with him and felt the droplets of hot water splash onto her hand. Standing back up, Reno handed her the loofah that was already lathered up with soap.

“Mind scrubbing my back?” he said. 

“Unbelievable,” she muttered but did so anyways, all the while avoiding moving her eyes down too much. His back was firm and she even spotted some scarring as well as one that looked like a bullet had gone through his shoulder with a nasty exit wound that was already healed. “Being a Turk must be tough, huh?”

“Hmph,” he laughed. “Not as hard as the Firsts.” 

After she scrubbed him clean, she handed him back the loofah over his shoulder and he grabbed it. “Hey,” he said. “Do you wanna shower too?”

“What?!” 

“Isn’t it normal for married couples to shower together anyways?” His back was still respectfully turned from her, giving her the chance to look down at herself. She had on Reno’s suit jacket from the wedding to cover over the ripped wedding dress from last night. They didn’t even bother changing and just went on like that because she was so sure that she could get their chains off easily. Now that she realized that, a shower sounded absolutely heavenly. 

“Fine.” She relented. “No peeking though!” Slipping out of her tattered gown, she nervously let the clothes drop to the floor and stepped into the shower with him. The steam already coated her skin and she felt the water wash away the grime on her skin when they fled Sector 6. 

“Need me to wash your back?” he asked her and she nodded, bringing her hair up to expose her neck and backside to him. She soon felt the soft loofah rub along her skin, following the curves of her waist and up her shoulder blades. “Lift your leg up onto the ledge here,” he instructed her and she looked back at him with surprise. 

“Why?” She asked. 

“I can get your leg while you do your other one on your own,” he said with a shrug. “You would have to bend over if you wanna wash the one closest to me.” 

_Damn_. He was right. Bringing her leg up, the hand that was cuffed to her rested on her waist while Reno dipped down and reached over to scrub her leg. Starting at her ankles and bringing it up slowly, leaving a trail of lathered soap as he did. She closed her eyes and tried not to shiver despite the hot water pelting both of their backs. He rotated to the other side and she felt his back pressed against hers with his fingers gripping her waist to hold her still as he brought the loofah up as close to her inner thigh as possible. “There,” he said. “You can do your other one now, if you want.” 

Doing as he said and bringing the loofah down to wipe her other leg freely; she let the suds be washed away and moved onto shampoo her hair. They both massaged their heads with their free hands and faced the other way. “So…” She spoke just to fill the silence. “How do you think Lea’s doing?”

“Right about now? Probably paperwork.”

*******

A giant pile of paper slammed down onto the desk and Lea looked up in surprise as Rude sat beside him with his own stack- notably smaller than his. 

“H-hey, how come you don’t have as much?!” He leaned over to the other Turk and Rude simply perused through his pile. 

“Because Reno hates doing paperwork,” Rude answered simply.

“And you think I do?!”

Rude shrugged. “You wanna blend in right? Do some work.”

“Ah man this is some bullshit,” Lea clicked the pen by slamming the opposite end into the desk and started sorting through the files, reading through it as he used to with Vexen’s reports back at Castle Oblivion. “Ugh. Gods help me.”

“The gods aren’t here,” Elena set down more folders onto his desk with a light huff. “But we are, ‘Reno’.”

Lea shuffled through them and stopped when he saw the folder listing all the Firsts in the SOLDIER program. He leaned back in his chair and whistled to Rude. “Yo, Rude! You said these files are top secret right?”

“Very top secret,” Rude nodded. 

“Suuuuper top secret!” Elena agreed. 

“Huh,” he said as he opened the file and perused through them. There was Sephiroth, of course, Angeal.. Genesis.. Zack… He stopped when he opened the file on the soldier he was closest with. The file was weird as most of the information was deleted, as if someone tried to erase her from the database. It read:

SOLDIER 1st Class

Name:  [REDACTED]

Age: [REDACTED] 

Height: [REDACTED]

Weight: [REDACTED]

All of it was blank, save for her picture and the number of aliases she took while she went AWOL. One thing caught his eye though, and that was the last sentence at the bottom of the file that contained one giant stamp of approval in a garish red color. 

Permission to transfer to Deepground: GRANTED

Lea frowned then held up the file for Rude and Elena to see. “Have you guys seen this?” Elena scooted closer and Lea was almost reminded that she looked a lot like Elrena- except, of course, she smiled more and had different colored eyes. “It’s a file on Lady, right? So why does it look like this?”

“It wasn’t like that before,” Rude explained. “The last person to access her records was Professor Hojo.”

“Hojo?” Lea racked his brain until he remembered that lanky scientist that made his skin crawl. He wasn’t seen often but everytime he was, Lady was always there and she always went pale in his presence. “You mean that creepy, crazy scientist?” Rude placed a photo down and Lea held it up to affirm. “Yep, that’s him.” 

“He was the mastermind for Project Jenova and for Project SIREN.. But I guess they can be classified as the same thing,” Elena pointed at Sephiroth’s file. “He first started out with Sephiroth. Had a baby with another scientist named Dr. Lucrecia-”

“Woah wait!” Lea slammed his finger down on Hojo’s face. “You’re telling me _this_ -” he moved his finger to point at Sephiroth, “-produced _this?!_ That’s not possible.”

“Maybe he took more after his mother?” She shrugged and continued. “It’s not a well-known fact. Even Sephiroth didn’t know who his real father and mother was.”

“Until your landlady intervened,” Rude said. “Same could be said for Genesis and Angeal. They didn’t know they were Hollander’s pet project till she discovered it.”

“And what about Lady? Why would Hojo obsess about her?”

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Tseng walked in on them and the three of them sat up straight at their desks. “He claimed she was special. More special than his own son apparently.”

Lea’s face hardened. “Tch. Harsh. What kind of deadbeat dad doesn’t give a shit about his own kid?”

“Hojo never saw Sephiroth as his son,” Tseng walked over to the desk and briefly glanced at the files with sharp eyes. “He only saw him as a lab rat. A lab rat bred within a woman. And that’s putting it kindly.” He noted the face Lea was making and gave him a small smile. “Genesis and Angeal were no different. To the scientists here in Shinra, they were just projects. A series of checks on a listed sheet proved their worth, not their personal achievements.” 

“So? What about Lady makes her special?”

“I’m sure I don’t have to explain that to you, right?” said Tseng but he did so anyways when Lea’s brows furrowed even more. “Hojo wanted to look into her lineage. Said that her family might be the key to understanding why. But that was difficult of course, because when she joined Shinra, she claimed she had no family at all and grew up here in the slums.”

Lea remained silent, taking in his words carefully. “That’s all a lie… But why would she do that?”

“Well,” Tseng leaned over the desk. “Wouldn’t hurt to ask now, would it?” 

*******

Lady blinked a couple of times before opening her eyes completely. The first thing she saw was Reno’s slumbering face and she immediately frowned. Their bodies were intertwined, legs going over each other and his arms held her close as he snored just a little. He moved and placed his chin atop her head and snuggled even closer and she took this moment to wonder how in the fuck they got like this. They were in the shower, she remembered that much, but after..?? 

_Ah_. She remembered them deciding to take a well deserved nap since neither had slept in almost 24 hours. He was exhausted surely, and maybe so was she if she slept in so easily without noticing how close they became. Laying her head back on the pillow, she lay close to his chest and caught a whiff of the cologne he used. He smelled good. 

A chuckle caught her attention and she glanced up and saw Reno looking down at her. “Do I smell good? Pervert.” She puffed her cheeks in annoyance and faced her body the opposite way so that she wouldn’t see him. “Hey,” he said as he scooted closer and propped up his head with a hand. “C’mon, don’t be that way. I was just messin’ with ya.”

“You’re irritating,” she growled and pulled the blanket up to cover her shoulders. 

“You know something?,” he said, completely ignoring her. “You glow when you sleep.. and you talk.”

“Oh? And what did I say?”

“You were whimpering, I think. Calling out for someone.” 

“Who?”

“I dunno. You just kept saying ‘daddy, daddy!’ Then you kept spouting about butterflies and dragons and all this other stuff. Oh, and you kept mumbling ‘get the fire away’ or something like that.”

Lady turned back around and met his eyes. “Was that all?”

“Yeah,” he said softly, then saw how her bottom lip quivered. “Do.. do you wanna talk about it?”

“No,” she said swiftly. “Not really.”

Their awkwardness was short-lived as a knock came at their door and Xigbar stuck his head in. “Wakey wakey, lovebirds. They’re back if you wanna get those off.”

“Right,” she said as she helped Reno off. “Let’s go, shall we husband?”

“Right behind you, wife.”

*******

“How does this even happen?” Roxas looked at the two bound by chains. 

“Don’t ask,” Lady said through gritted teeth. 

“We got bamboozled by a priest and his goons,” Reno said with a smug grin, as if he won something.

“Don’t answer!” she hissed at him then turned back to Roxas. “Look, just help us out would you?” 

“Fine, hold them up,” the blonde told them as one of his Keyblades came to. Reno and Lady held up their hands and Roxas held up the end towards them. A ball of light gathered at the tip and shot towards them and in a matter of seconds, something metallic fell onto the floor loudly. Lady glanced down and saw the handcuffs lying there and she couldn’t help the wide grin that crossed her face. Reno swept her up in a hug and they both cheered for their newfound freedom. Roxas cleared his throat, “Don’t I get something too?”

“Of course!” Lady marched over to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek before she swept up the handcuffs on the floor and inspected them closer. 

“May I keep it? For research,” Ienzo said. 

A sly smile crossed her face. “Oh, _research_ is it? Ienzo, you kinky bastard.” She tossed the cuffs to him with a wink and laughed when his face turned bright red. 

Ienzo cleared his throat loudly. “You said that these inhibited your powers?”

“Yup,” she massaged her wrist. “Courtesy of Deepground.” 

“Huh, fascinating.”

Reno tapped her shoulder. “Well this has all been fun and whatever, but shouldn’t we be headed back now?” 

“Alright, sheesh,” she motioned for Reno to hop into her arms again and he made a face. 

“Can’t we go back where it doesn’t require you to lift me?” he said with a sour look. 

“What’s wrong? Don’t like getting carried like a princess?”

“Hell no! I can walk just fine, thanks.”

“I can just open up a corridor for you guys,” Roxas offered. 

Lady sighed and shrugged. “Whatever gets us there. Do what you want.” At that, a corridor opened up near their feet and she motioned for Reno to step in first. As she was about to walk through herself, Roxas grabbed her arm. 

“Stay out of trouble,” he said with a serious look and when she made an amused face, he frowned. “At least not too much trouble.” 

Caressing his face, she winked at him. “I know.” 

*******

“Azul the Cerulean, Shelke the Transparent, Rosso the Crimson, Nero the Sable, and finally, the one you need to watch out for the most- Weiss the Immaculate.” 

Lady had her feet propped up on the table with the chair leaning on its back legs. “And what makes this Weiss so immaculate?”

“He was the perfect SOLDIER,” Reeve answered. 

“I’ve heard that one before,” she scoffed. 

“But he was created without the assistance of any other entities,” he gave her a pointed look. “Meaning if he was to be infused with something, he would no doubt be stronger. Maybe too strong for you.”

She licked her gums and tapped her finger against her arm. “So I should be wary of all of them?”

“Weiss and Rosso in particular.” A picture of a slender woman with dark red hair came up on the projected screen. Her eyes were a deep red as was the color on her lips. It looked like she was soaked in blood prior and only wiped off the area of her skin to get that intense of a color on her features. And her smile.. something about it unsettled Lady. There was no joy in it. A poor mimicry of something that was supposed to represent all that was good in the world. 

“That’s the one who shot me,” Vincent grumbled. His face was concealed by the folds of his cape but she knew he had on a sour expression. 

“So what’s her story?” She asked Reeve. 

“Well, to put it nicely? She hates you.”

She scoffed and laughed loudly. “I don’t even know her.”

“But she knows you,” he said with a serious face. “And she hates you more than anybody else, trust me.”

“Impossible,” Lady scoffed again. “There’s no one in this world that hates me more than I hate myself.” When both Reeve and Vincent gave her a disapproving look, she shrugged. “I was juuuust kidding. Now tell me why?”

“Project SIREN, it was supposed to be her that received Jenova’s power- not you. Unfortunately, it proved too difficult to fuse Jenova’s genes, since it didn’t ‘agree’ with her.”

“Well she can have it,” she muttered under her breath and sat her chair down on all four legs. “So, what’re they called again?”

“They’re part of a specialized group of Deepground called the Tsviets. They’re highly dangerous and can most likely match the Firsts skills in battle, if not more.”

“Tsviets, huh..” she looked at the pictures displayed. “Hmph. Bring it.”

“You’ll overexert yourself,” Vincent warned. “Any news on Xehanort or Ardyn?” Lady massaged her face with both of her hands and shook her head. He then looked at Reeve, “Have you told anyone else this?” To which Reeve also shook his head. “Then it’s best we do that. We need to come up with a contingency plan if anything goes awry.”

“Well maybe-” their conversation was cut off by the sound of the arcade machine going down as Tifa’s body slowly came into view. When it dropped down to the bottom, she looked at all of them with a smile. 

“You guys coming up?” She said and made eye contact with Lady. “Especially you! It’s your party after all.”

Lady gave her a tight-lipped smile. There’d be no way of getting out of this one. “Come on gentlemen,” she said to Reeve and Vincent. They both followed her up onto the platform that raised them up with a gentle roar of the gears. Rising above to the bar floor, they saw a large gathering of people; mostly those she’d seen before with three new faces. One belonged to an older man with shortly trimmed blond hair and pale blue eyes, he had a cigarette in his mouth that wasn’t lit yet and conversated with Barret. The other was a young woman with a pixie cut of dark brown hair, she was lively and loud and spoke with animated movements to Aerith and Tifa. As for the last guest.. it was a dog. But she assumed it wasn’t as simple as it appeared for this dog had markings on its bright orange fur and a scar going down its right eye; judging from the snout and size of the pelvis, it was a male. Another strange detail was the fact that fire seemed to be casually resting on the end of his tail. This would alarm her mostly, but it seemed Marlene didn’t mind so she guessed she shouldn’t either. 

“These are my associates,” Vincent filled in the blanks for her. “I’ve met them while you were, hm, gone.”

“Uh-huh,” she said slowly. “And they are?”

“That man with the cigarette, his name is Cid. That girl, Yuffie. And the animal is Red XIII.”

“Red XIII? Is that really his name?”

“His true name he tells no one, except to those he trusts. Not much different from you, huh?”

“Hmph. I suppose.”

“What are we all here for anyways?” Cid said loudly and looked over to Tifa who brought out a cake. His accent reminded Lady of Cindy, the beautiful head mechanic of Hammerhead. She wondered how she was doing; a visit was duly needed. 

“We’re all here for Lady and Reno!” Aerith clapped her hands excitedly. 

“Who the hell is Lady?” Cid looked around till he found out who she was, seeing her stand beside Vincent with a placid look on her face- when they met eyes, she smiled sweetly and wagged her fingers at him. “Hey, you’re that goddamn soldier that dropped in on my uncle’s garage.”

Lady grinned, eyes flashing wildly. “That’s me. I’m flattered I made such an impression.”

“Another soldier?” Red XIII spoke, much to her surprise. “Are we gearing up for a war?” He turned his snout to Vincent. 

“Ughhh can’t we just cut the cake? I’m starving!” Yuffie swung her legs over the table counter and stuffed the bag behind her back. Inside looked to be glowing orbs of different colors. Materia. _Was this girl some sort of hoarder?_

“Be patient,” Tifa tutted and placed the cake on the table then beckoned Reno and Lady to take front and center. “Come here you two!”

Written on the chocolate frosted cake with white elegant script were the words: ‘Congratulations on your divorce!’ 

Candles were even placed around with no real organization along with scattered candied flowers and smiley faces- courtesy of Marlene. Everything else was no doubtedly Tifa’s handiwork. 

“Awww, you guys shouldn’t have!” Lady laughed as Reno wrapped an arm around her neck. “Kind of depressing though, thought my first marriage would last longer. Least more than 27 hours.”

“For all it was worth,” Reno rubbed her shoulder. “I had fun.”

“Y’all gonna blow the candles out or what?” Barret said loudly. “My little angel wants some cake!”

Marlene jumped up near Lady’s legs and she picked the girl up into her arms and held her up by her waist. “Did you like the sprinkles I put?” 

“Yes,” Lady nodded approvingly, observing the cake as one would a fine piece of art. “It’s beautiful!” 

“Well,” Genesis raised his cup to her. “Cheers on your divorce.” From the upper rim of his glass, he winked at her and she smiled. 

The rest of the ones gathered in 7th Heaven raised their cups to match his. “Cheers!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love it when my laptop breaks when I need it the most.
> 
> A moment of silence for my Dell Inspiron 13, if you please. Also, I don't have a pun right now, sorry :(


	18. XVIII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's for you, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

“Has anyone seen Lady?” Angeal asked as he walked into 7th Heaven. He received an astounding amount of shaking heads as a response, affirming that no, they have not seen her. “She wasn’t in the safe house..” he muttered and took a seat beside Genesis who carefully folded his napkin before using it to dab the corners of his mouth. At seeing this, Angeal grinned and remarked at his table manners. “City boy.”

“Be grateful I don’t eat like a slob,” Genesis simply muttered and threw his accusatory eyes at Zack who had an overwhelming amount of sauce dripping down the side of his mouth which was quickly wiped away by the back of his hand. 

Zack swallowed his food and turned back to look at his accuser. “Hey, I was hungry!”

“That’s no excuse,” Genesis sneered and Angeal sighed. 

“Would you two stop it? It’s too early for this,” he said. 

“Early?” Zack made a face. “It’s 2pm?”

Angeal cleared his throat then searched the ceiling for an excuse. “I had a long night last night. I was.. uh.. working out.”

Genesis nodded. “Sure you were. I’m sure you enjoyed your cardio very much so,” a sly smirk on his face granted him another glare from his friend but continued on regardless. “Been at it for a couple hours, hm?” 

A subtle blush crossed the black-haired man’s face and he hid it with his fist as coughed into it. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.” His friend made a face of pure disbelief and he finally gave up on his lie. “She’s insatiable.”

“Oh, I’m sure you enjoyed yourself too,” Genesis said quietly. “But yes, I know she is.”

“And how is that?”

“After her marriage was broken up, I took the liberty of easing her into her newly single life,” he smiled. 

Angeal’s shoulders shook as he laughed. “You’re a terrible man. Was that what all the noise was that night?”

“What are you guys talking about?” Zack asked and looked up from his empty plate.

“Nothing,” both Angeal and Genesis responded as Zack pouted and turned back around to face the bar as Tifa came out. 

The bartender was carrying glasses stacked carefully on top of each other and she set it down one by one onto the counter. Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, Zack put his chin on his fist. “Oi, Tifa. Where’s Cloud?”

“Hmm, right about now?” She glanced at the analog clock hanging on the wall behind her. “Probably running errands with Aerith.” At this, she seemed a bit disappointed but that expression quickly disappeared when she faced Zack again and gave him her best smile. “Why? Miss him?”

Zack gave her a sympathetic look. “You know- you should just talk to him.”

“...I don’t know what you mean.” Tifa made busy work with her hands but ultimately she wasn’t doing anything productive. 

“Tifa,” he said with a worried tone to his voice. “I know Cloud, he’s as dense as they come. You gotta be more direct.”

The bartender leaned against the counter, her fists balling up tightly as she squeezed her eyes shut. At seeing this, Zack thought he overstepped the boundaries but was relieved to see Tifa look up at him with a grateful smile. “Thanks, Zack. I’ll think about that.”

“Anytime, hey if you need me to do anything- you just let me know, alright?” 

Tifa laughed. “I will, thanks.” Her jovial disposition was soon misplaced but her eyes soon opened wide and she dropped the glass she was holding as she let out a surprised shriek; both of her hands shot up to cover her mouth as her eyes focused on the thing that just walked through the doorway. Zack turned around just in time to see Lady walk into the bar, her entrance immediately grabbing everyone’s attention. And for good reason.

Blood dripped from her in generous amounts and splattered all across her face, clothes, and hair. One of her hands were behind her back as the other wiped the blood from her cheek and she sniffed loudly as she walked further into the bar- all the while Tifa kept screaming. “Tifa,” Lady put a hand up. “Relax, it’s not my blood.”

“Who’s blood is it?!” Tifa cried. 

Lady stretched her arms above her head. “Some kids-”

“ _WHAT?!_ ”

“Let me finish!” She said loudly. “I meant to say- some kiddos from Sector 5 hired me to get rid of some monsters in their playground so I guess I had to.”

“Why are you covered in blood then?” Angeal tried to mask his concern. 

“The monster had friends,” she replied solemnly. “It’s all good though, they gave me this as thanks.” From behind her back, she revealed a long bat with nails hammered all over it. A deadly bludgeoning experience and definitely would hurt if it made contact with anyone. A whir of gears got Lady’s attention and she saw the arcade machine rise up from the bottom as Vincent appeared, his red eyes squinted when he saw Lady covered in blood holding a bat in her hand. 

“I thought I heard you,” came his gruff voice as he stepped off the platform. “You said you got that from a couple of kids?”

“Yeah,” she grinned. “I got it because I killed off some monsters for them.” 

“Hmph,” he nodded approvingly. “Not bad.”

“You mean, not ‘bat’, right?” She gestured to her newly acquired weapon. When no one replied to her, she pointed at it again. “Because it’s a bat and you said-”

Vincent shut his eyes. “I know how puns work.”

“Did you like it?” He ignored her and left the bar. Lady scoffed, “Jackass.” Turning to Angeal, she tilted her head. “You liked it, right?”

“Uhh..” he scratched the back of his neck and Lady shook her head. 

“Nevermind, I’m going to shower.” Turning around, she walked past Aerith and Cloud who stared at her blood-drenched figure. “Morning, guys!” She smiled at them as she swung her bat in a circle by her side and exited the building while whistling a tune. 

*******

Sephiroth picked up the bat and turned it in his hands, noting the notches in the lightly colored cedar wood and the sheer amount of nails that jutted out of it. He thought it amusing that some kids crafted this and even offered it as a reward. But he chalked it up to the fact that these very kids knew how to survive, for they spent the majority of their lives in the slums- where no one would care enough to take care of things down there. Except for Reeve and Lazard, of course. Both of which he was glad to hear that they were okay, even if they still worked for Shinra. He couldn’t fathom working for a company with secrets so dark that even some of their top executives don’t know about. 

“Like it?” Lady looked at him admiring the bat. Her body was wrapped in a small towel and her hair fell about her shoulders in wet, twisted strands. “Might start carrying that around with me. To let people know I mean business.”

“I think you do that just fine even without this,” he set the bat back on the wall and sat on his bed, pulling her down onto his lap when she came closer. “You smell lovely,” he smiled as his nose ran up the side of her neck along with a trail of kisses. 

“It’s the body soap,” she laughed, the sensation of his tongue gliding on her skin tickled her ever so slightly. Sighing, she played with one of his strands of hair and twirled it between her fingers. “I had a dream about you.”

“Hm? About what?” His lips were close to her ear. “Was it filthy?”

She grinned. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? But no, it was.. very strange.”

At this, he stopped and turned his face to meet her gaze. “Are you comfortable with disclosing it to me?”

Biting her lip, she searched his face and resigned. There shouldn’t be any harm telling him. “You were…” she wrapped her arm around his neck. “Angeal and Genesis weren’t there and neither was I. You spent most of your time in the Shinra building between missions, praised for everything you’ve done. But you didn’t seem happy. And then-” biting down on her lip, she gauged his reaction so far as to how he would react but he held onto her hand tightly and that encouraged her to continue on, “-then you were sent on a mission. To Nibelheim. Zack was there, Cloud was too. It was simple, you were just supposed to check on what made the reactor malfunction but then that’s when you discovered the experiments they conducted.”

“What experiments?”

“Experiments on Jenova.” That word tasted vile on her tongue, so she could only imagine what it would be like for him. “You found out what they did to make you and you.. I think you went insane. You burnt down the village and everyone in it and you believed Jenova really was your birth mother…”

“Go on.”

She twiddled her fingers together nervously. “Cloud and Zack ended up teaming up to fight you and I think Cloud ended up killing you.. But then you came back to life somehow and set to destroy the world. Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith, Cait Sith, Yuffie, Vincent, and even Red teamed up to fight you. You did the same thing as I did. Summoning a meteor to destroy the planet.”

Their hands wrapped around each other’s tighter. “And how did they stop me?”

“I’m not sure,” she racked her mind but only hazy images came to. “Aerith did something that got in your way, something that would have destroyed the meteor. So.. you killed her, in front of Cloud.” An image of Aerith came to mind. This one was as clear as day, and she saw a long blade jut out of her abdomen. She felt his hand grip her even tighter. “And after that, you and Cloud had one final face off and you lost.”

“Did I die?”

“I.. I’m not sure. I don’t think you ever truly left.”

“I see.”

“..Seph? You doing okay?”

At that point, he was gripping her hand so tightly she thought it would break right under his grip. Wincing audibly, he immediately let go and uttered a quick apology before digging his face into her neck. “What type of man would I turn into, if it weren’t for you and those two?”

“A man that wouldn’t know love,” she murmured and held him tighter; she soon heard him utter her true name. “Yes?”

“Don’t ever leave me.”

They’ve been through this before, with it ending not so well. And although she hesitated to answer in fear that she couldn’t uphold her promise again. She said the word anyways, because in her heart she never wanted to leave- but fate was never really that kind. “Never.” Leaning in, she placed a kiss on his lips to seal the deal and he returned the gesture by moving his face closer to hers.

Unfortunately, it was a moment that was short-lived as it was interrupted by the ringing of her cellphone. Turning to look at the phone on his bedside table, her jaw locked in place when she saw the caller ID. Excusing herself off of his lap, she swiped her phone up and answered. “Yes?” She said with an edge of irritation to her voice despite maintaining an air of respect. “No, I haven’t- why are you asking?” Sephiroth watched as she began pacing back and forth, the towel straining to hold themselves around her as it was small in size- it looked as if it would fall down in any minute. “You called me just for that. Huh, typical… No, I- nevermind, forget it. I’ll get it done. Yeah, bye.” 

Hanging up, she tossed her phone onto his bed and didn’t bother to watch it bounce off the mattress and slam into the wall before settling back into the sheets. He grabbed the phone and set it, carefully, back on the nightstand and watched her continue to pace back and forth with eyes narrowed in anger.

“What’s wrong?” He asked. 

“Nothing,” she muttered and stopped when he gave her a look. “It was my mom. She wants me to go see the Archaean.” 

“That giant holed up at the Disc?”

“Mhm,” she nodded. “There’s more she’s not telling me.” Burying her face in her hands, she let herself fall onto his bed and curl up into a fetal position. “There’s something more I don’t know and it’s driving me nuts.”

Laying down beside her, he took her face in her hands and stroked her cheek with his thumb. “Do you not trust your own mother?”

Biting her lip, she responded. “...I want to.” _But I can’t._

*******

Nyx Ulric was perched on one of the buildings overlooking the edge of Insomnia, beside him was his best friend and comrade, Libertus. Both of them were watching the barrier over their city take on a reddish-pink hue that was only visible if the sun above hit it in a certain angle; hexagonal shapes towered and clambered over each other to form one massive domed barrier that covered the whole of their city, as well as some of the countryside beyond. It was much bigger than the one they had before, and he couldn’t help but wonder what caused the change. Even the king’s closest advisors wouldn’t let them in on the secret and was only discussed behind shut doors with two of his most trusted friends and that woman. 

His grey-blue eyes watched a woman in a black kimono pass an elegant hand over the trunk of a wisteria tree. 

That was the other thing that changed. The shitload of wisteria trees that sprouted all around the city. They definitely weren’t there last night when he was on patrol but seemed to have grown overnight, as if by magic. 

“Nyx. Hey, Nyx!” Lib waved his hand in front of his friend’s face. “Your turn buddy.”

In between the two were a deck of cards that were laid out accordingly and Nyx quickly shuffled the cards between his fingers before he glared accusingly at Lib. “Did you just switch out my cards?”

“What?!” Lib raised a hand to his heart as if struck there. “You think I would really do that to my best friend?”

“Yeah, yeah I would actually.”

He scoffed in response. “Well keep your eyes on the deck then, what were you staring at anyways?” Nyx pointed at the series of wisteria trees that dotted the border. “Oh, those things? What were they again? Wisterias?” Nyx nodded absentmindedly and soon Lib followed his gaze to the woman who was inspecting them one by one. “She looks like our lady friend, huh?”

Nyx snorted. “Yeah, ‘cause that’s her mother.”

“No fucking way, she doesn’t look old enough to have a daughter.” Nyx made a face at his remark but he shook his head. “You know what I mean!” 

At this, Nyx nodded again. “None of my business to be askin’ a woman’s age though,” throwing down his cards he raised his eyebrows up at his friend, “c’mon. Your turn.”

*******

Onna sighed as she let more mana flow from her body and into the tree. It was taking a lot of energy just for her to maintain the magic to keep these trees up, but once she was done, these trees would maintain the border around Insomnia without the use of the Crystal. At her behest and careful delegation, she convinced Regis to deactivate the barrier and allow her own. It was better this way, it gave them all less influence from the Draconian all the while these trees served to weaken him further so that he can’t fly about as he pleases. 

Of course, it would only hold as long as she did. 

Counting the ones she’s imbued thus far, she calculated the amount she had to do next. _1,572 done, 759 left to go._ These were rough calculations and she’s wondered if she had to do anymore. When she walked to get to the next one, she felt slightly dizzy and held a hand to her forehead; it was then that a strong arm wrapped around her waist quickly and held her upright. Looking over to her support through half-lidded eyes, she smiled faintly when she saw a familiar face. 

“You need to take a break. You’re pushing yourself too hard,” Jecht muttered, his deep reddish-brown eyes twinkled even in the shade. “C’mon, just give it a rest for now.”

“I can’t,” she straightened herself back up and dusted off her kimono. “I need to finish by today.” Taking the hairpin holding her bun together, she let her hair fall to its full length just below her waist; then, she collected it in her hands and wrapped it up tightly into another bun before sticking the pin inside and twisted it around slightly before letting her hands rest at her sides. “I’ll rest when I get my work done.”

“Thought you might say that,” Jecht revealed a wrapped lunch from behind his back. “Got this from that kid at the Citadel, the one that cooks.”

“Ignis?” She grinned. “Really now?”

“You could at least sit down for a bite to eat,” he motioned for her to come take a seat beside him on a bench directly between two of her trees. They were at a park overlooking the edge of the city and the bridge beyond that stretched to the other land mass. Insomnia was a fortress and could be well-protected if given the means. The only thing that could take this place down was an attack from the inside. 

When she sat down beside him, he handed her a box while he fished one out for himself. Together, they opened it and were greeted by the alluring scent of fresh cooked food- still kept hot thanks to the aluminum container it was housed in. “Looks damn good,” Jecht grinned and immediately began digging in while Onna ate at hers with impeccable manners. When she dined, she still counted how long it would take to finish her task until she felt eyes on her. Turning around, she saw how Jecht regarded her and at how empty his lunchbox was. Even at this age, he ate like a teenage boy. 

“What is it?” She asked. 

“Nothin’,” his voice was gruff and coarse, like leather being whipped against dry bark. “You just look beautiful, that’s all.” 

“Ah, yes,” she grinned, setting aside the rest of the food to eat at a later time. “With dark circles under the eyes, the hallmark of beauty.”

“Those’re only there ‘cause you push yourself too damn hard,” he muttered. “Can’t you take a break?” When Onna didn’t respond, he placed her hand on hers and it made her jump slightly and met his eyes that were filled with worry. “C’mon, please?”

“You know I can’t,” she said softly. “You know that in your heart.”

“I know,” Jecht leaned forward with his elbows on his knees while she remained sitting upright with her back straight up. “You sure there’s nothin’ we can do for you?”

“You being here is enough,” she patted his back. “Thank you.”

Nodding, he packed up his lunch and got up to leave but before he did, she suddenly stood up and started towards him. “Jecht,” she called for him and he turned around. The image in front of him reminded him of when they were younger, times when everything was much more simple. “Will you,” she hesitated. “When I-... Will you please take care of-”

Jecht quickly strode over to her and took her in a tight embrace that silenced her. “Hey don’t talk like that. We’ll sort it out, you’ll see.” Patting down her back, he closed his eyes and let out a single regretful breath. “It should’ve been me.”

Onna shook her head and dared to place her hands against his chest. “You can’t change the past.”

*******

Since a certain person’s heroism to the kids were showcased in a rather ostentatious display when they paraded through Sector 5 to Sector 6 to get to Sector 7, word around the towns spread quickly about a mercenary who would do anything... For the right price. 

And so people often came to Sector 7 to find this merc and offer them money but were often surprised when it was a woman waiting to hear their deals. 

“I’m sorry, I was just kind of expecting.. I dunno, someone taller?” The man in front of her had a shiny forehead that accumulated sweat from the trek here; his light brown hair was swept back in carefully groomed segments and his dress shirt surely had seen better days. “I didn’t expect, uh, expect…” he trailed off when Lady glared at him. 

“Expect what?” She growled and her mako eyes flashed. 

“Well,” the client cleared his throat. “I expected a man, I suppose.”

Lady visibly seethed but quickly covered it with a sickly sweet smile that disarmed her client. “500 gil. Up front.” 

“Wha- 500?! That’s way more than I offered!” 

She placed a finger on her chin and glanced up at the ceiling as she tapped. “Hm, well since I’m a woman, the hazard pay covers the fee since I’m not as skilled as a man,” her eyes returned to him and he swore he saw her pupils dilate into thin slits. “Right?”

“Uh, s-sure, 500.. I can do that.”

Lady straightened her back and crossed her legs. “You know what, add in an extra 200.”

“200?! For what?” 

“For pissing me off,” she swiftly got up as her sword materialized in her hand and made him jump. “Now, you can sit tight, sir,” she traced her finger across his back as she circled him. Standing behind him, she leaned over, “I’ll get rid of your problem. So long as you pay me, my word is gold. Got that?”

“Y-yes.”

She struck the sword against the leg of the chair he was sitting on, making him tense up further. “Yes what?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“That’s better,” she purred. “Okay, I’ll come back once the job’s finished. Don’t you move!”

**2 hours later…**

“Well, Mr. Hunt, your monster problem has been officially solved,” Lady walked in, swinging her bat before it rested on her shoulder. The greasy businessman turned around immediately, he, in fact, did not leave his chair the moment she stepped out of 7th Heaven.

“But, have you destroyed their nest?” 

She stopped. “Nest? What nest?”

At this he looked frazzled and his perfectly molded hair soon fell in pieces around his head. “If you don’t hit the nest, they’ll just come back!” 

Lady puffed up her cheeks and widened her eyes. “Huh, why didn’t you tell me about a nest?” 

“Look,” he swallowed. “I’ll give you an extra 100, just please get rid of the nest.” 

“Where’s the extra 100?” 

Getting up, the businessman pulled out a hefty envelope of gil and dropped it onto the counter. He motioned to it, and she walked over and eyeballed it. Satisfied with the weight, she nodded then placed something else on the counter before him. A piece of a dried husk, presumably from a nest; she then smiled at him and pocketed the money. “I already took care of it, Mr. Hunt. If you don’t believe me, see for yourself. Just follow the bodies.”

“I-I’ll take your word for it, thank you,” he nodded his head and rushed off towards the door.

When he left, Lady spun around on the barstool and took out the money to begin counting it again. Smiling, she looked to Tifa. “Another satisfied customer, I would say. Here.” She slid the envelope of money down towards her and she looked at it with surprise. 

“What’s this for?” She asked. 

“For the bar,” Lady motioned to the establishment around her. “You said you guys weren’t making much money, right?”

“No, not really,” Tifa admitted hesitantly. “But you’re sure? I can have this?”

“If you don’t need it, give it to Marlene.”

“We do need it, but don’t you need some too?”

“Money’s not an issue for me, Tifa. Besides, you’re the one who has to keep the bar up and running, right?”

Since the whole of them came to Midgar, 7th Heaven has been a sort of hub for them to gather intelligence and run demos for schemes that was otherwise illegal. No one would suspect an establishment that sold liquor to be containing some pretty crafty people- or maybe they would. But no one would want to come investigate anyways since it was located in the heart of the slums. It was a perfect place for doing what they did. 

“Wait,” Lady stopped her before she took the money to the back. “Can I borrow 100 from that stack?”

“Yeah, of course,” she handed her a bill from the envelope. “Why?”

“Something tells me I’ll have a lot more clients coming through here and I need new clothes to represent.”

And she was correct for assuming so because dear Mr. Hunt gladly shared his experience with the slum merc who got rid of a problem he’d been trying to find someone to do the job for since this past summer. He was increasingly elated, even if he felt like he paid a premium for her services; word was that she expertly handled a den full of escaped monsters from an underground lab that Shinra built long ago. That word was spread to his friends at the bar, then his friends at the bar spread it to the guys at the gym, then the guys at the gym spread it to the girls at the shops, the then girls at the shop spread it to the doctors at the shelter, then the doctors told that story to their patients as they conducted their daily routines. Soon enough, most of the slum residents seeked out this woman to try and have their problems fixed; making the lengthy journey to Sector 7 with pockets heavy with gil. 

Needed a monster infestation taken care of? Someone to carry your unfathomable amount of groceries in one trip? Protection services or a local gang member beaten up to a pulp? They knew where to go. And soon, 7th Heaven received a new profitable venture in the form of a woman who could prove herself to be handy in many situations. Soon, she would have to prove herself to be someone adept at critical thinking because on one specific dark night during a storm that leaked through the upper plates and brought down the sludge to the bottom-side, a man stumbled in the bar with wild eyes and frantic breathing. 

Rain soaked through his ragged, brown clothing and dark gray hair, his coat was windblown and had patches sewn into the elbows and other places where it creased the most. He quickly looked around the bar and stopped when he stalked over to the women at the bar, though he was looking for one in particular, he didn’t know which one- so he grabbed one at random. 

“Excuse me,” he shivered from the cold rain that pelted him while outside and his wet fingers made Yuffie jump as she was the first he grabbed. “I’m, I’m looking for-”

“Eugh, can you not grab me?!” Yuffie twisted out of his grip and backed away, a defiant look on her face. “Didn’t your mom teach you not to grab women?”

“I’m sorry, I’m-” he swallowed hard. “I’m looking for someone. She’s supposed to be the one helping people out..?” 

Aerith pulled Yuffie back before the shinobi could do any harm to the civilian and called out for who the man was looking for. “Lady! You’ve got a client!” 

Emerging from the back with a piece of gum stuck between her lips, she gave it a loud smack before raising her eyebrows in confusion before approaching the man. “Can I help you?” 

Walking towards her, the man grabbed her by the shoulders and his pupils dilated in pure fear. “You’re the one I was looking for!” 

Lady calmly grabbed at his hands and pried them off of her and set them down by his side. “Sir, I need you to remain calm, what do you need?” 

“There’s gonna be a murder,” he said almost breathlessly that it just sounded like wind going between his teeth. 

“What?” She said, frowning. 

“THERE’S GONNA BE A MURDER!” 

At that time, everyone in the bar stopped what they were doing and looked up to see the man who trembled before Lady. He kept spouting nonsensical things that even she couldn’t make out, despite their proximity from each other. 

“Please, there’s going to be a murder and you have to investigate,” he begged her, sweat forming on his forehead and taking place of the rain droplets that seemed to have evaporated form his skin. 

“I don’t really do that,” she said, doing her best to remain civil. The man was clearly frightened but his pupils were unnaturally dilated, as if he took a stimulant.. Either that, or he was just really, really scared. “Maybe I can direct you to the Midgar Police-?”

“NO!” He shouted loudly and at this point everyone at the bar gave up on what they were doing and focused their attention on the show that was taking place instead. “No, it has to be you. It has to be!” His speech was jilted and fragmented, as if his mind constantly pieced together words just to make coherent sentences but what came out was bumbling lunacy. “Someone’s going to die, someone’s going to die and you’re going to find them.”

“Look, sir? Can you breathe for a second?” She kept watching his eyes go from seeing her face to glancing at the clock behind her, carefully watching the seconds tick by. “Tell me what’s wrong, maybe I can-”

“There’s no time,” he shook his head sorrowfully and looked up at her. “You’re out of time.” Taking something from his pocket, he stuffed it into her hands and closed her fingers around it tightly. “Follow the trees,” he rasped out and he quickly turned tail and left, leaving everyone in the building confused. 

“The hell’s his problem? He a junkie?” Cid remarked loudly and Lady looked at the thing in her hand. 

Unfolding it carefully, she saw a drawing of a poorly drawn purple flower and a series of lines on it that looked like someone who was unbelievably drunk started making random scribbles on a piece of paper to see if the pen worked properly. She thought nothing more of it, aimed towards the trash can and tossed it in. 

“What a weird guy,” Aerith muttered. 

“Yeah, who does he think he is! Grabbing me like that..” Yuffie shivered and wiped off her shoulders as if the man’s hands were still on there. “It’s gross!” 

“What do you his deal was? Lady?” 

“Hm?” Lady looked up at them then shrugged. “Dunno. Probably nothing.”

**The next morning…**

Lady walked in to see Yuffie, Tifa, Aerith, and Jessie crowded around something on the table. When the girls saw her, Aerith smiled and motioned her to come. “Look! These came for you this morning! I’ve never seen flowers like these..”

Approaching the table closer, she saw a bouquet of chrysanthemums that came in blue, and purple along with bright red spider lilies that popped up in between the mums; they were neatly arranged and had a large white bow wrapped around them and placed in a glass jar. Each petal was misted with dew and looked freshly plucked, it was a beautiful arrangement for sure. Propped up against the flowers was a stuffed moogle doll that was lovingly stitched together, its bright red pom-pom promising to keep its new owner safe with its ‘magic’. 

“Who left these?” Lady asked, eyeing the doll and flowers.

“Dunno,” Tifa shrugged, “someone just came to deliver it but they didn’t give any names.”

“Huh..” she stroked the petals and leaned in to smell them. Already when the heady floral scents entered her nostrils, she was reminded of home and it brought a small smile to her face. Chrysanthemums reminded her of her dad, after all. 

“Maybe it’s ‘cause Lady has a secret admirerrrr!” Yuffie said in a sing-song voice as she shook her shoulders. “Maybe it’s the weirdo from last night!” 

“That’d be hilarious,” Jessie nudged her with a wink. “What if he just wanted an excuse to touch you last night.”

“Hell no,” Lady laughed and inspected the bouquet anyways to see if they left a card. Beside the doll was a packet of something wrapped heavily with black plastic and she picked it up. “Is this part of the gift too?” Bringing it close to her nose, she took a whiff and drew back immediately when she smelled something foul. C3. 

Jessie made a face. “Oops, that’s not supposed to be there! Disregard that, please,” she said as she carefully snatched the package out of her hands. 

Lady grinned. “Was that cyclohexanone I smell? Jessiieee, you naughty, naughty girl.”

The Avalanche member winked at her. “Wouldn’t you like to know, soldier girl?”

Yuffie jumped between them. “What’s cy-cyclo-cyclohexanone?” 

“You wanna tell them?” Lady pointed her thumb at the ninja, bartender, and florist. “Or do you want me to?”

Jessie shook her head and turned on her heels to go to their secret hideout underneath the arcade machine all the while Yuffie followed until the Avalanche member disappeared beneath the floorboards. Yuffie then began trying to get into the base but was unsuccessful as Aerith and Tifa looked on and laughed at her antics. Meanwhile, Lady’s attention was on the ‘gift’ still. Rifling through the petals, she frowned when she saw a single white card tucked underneath a blue chrysanthemum; picking it up, she turned it over when the front was blank and frowned even more when she saw the writing on the back. 

‘Follow the trees.’

This was odd. There were no trees in Midgar. 

It was second-nature to her to crumple up nonsensical items but stopped when she remembered that strange man’s name from last night. _Actually_. He never told his name to her at all. While the girls were chatting behind her back, she quickly pocketed it and turned around as some of the boys filed in the bar. 

“What’s this?” Sephiroth eyed the elaborate bouquet then looked at the girls to see if they had any clue. 

“We don’t know,” Aerith shrugged. “It just arrived for Lady this morning.” 

“Got some type of secret admirer, huh? Someone crushin’ on our resident merc?” Barret pushed Lady’s shoulder lightly but ended up being too rough as it moved her forward. She glared at him on the account of not using his gun arm to touch her and so he chuckled nervously to cover up his embarrassment at forgetting. 

“I can smell that thing from a mile away,” Vincent looked irritated. “Can’t you move it somewhere else?” 

“But it’s a pleasant smell,” said Red, raising his snout in the air to take in the scent. 

“And it would look so nice in the bar,” Tifa added, looking disappointed. 

Aerith remained inspecting the bouquet with great interest. “Wow, I’ve never seen these types of flowers before! They look specially groomed, maybe they came from the upper plate?”

“It’s an eyesore,” Genesis muttered. “Who would send such a gaudy arrangement? Is it really from an admirer?”

“I don’t know,” Lady gave him a look. “Besides, anyone who hand picked these flowers to be in a bouquet have to know what they stand for.”

“What’s that?” Aerith asked. 

“Well,” she began to explain. “Back home, chrysanthemums and spider lilies would be used strictly for fun-”

Suddenly, the door burst open and in came a man who Lady recognized from the Neighborhood Watch. “Hey!” He took a moment to catch his breath then looked up at Tifa and Barret. “There’s a huge fire, we need help putting it out!” 

“Shit, alright,” Barret turned to the group. “Lady, Tifa, you’re with me!” 

“Already ahead of you,” Lady brisked past him and followed the man from the Watch. They sprinted alongside him towards a warehouse that already had a large crown of fire that bristled and roared loudly. Many of the Sector’s residents evacuated quickly and their panicked screams mixed with the fire that only seemed to get higher and higher. Smoke filled the area and Lady felt her eyes dry out just from the aura of heat alone, blinking to alleviate the discomfort in her retinas, she instructed Barret and Tifa to step back. 

“Clear the area!” Lady shouted at them and Tifa nodded to Barret who rounded everyone up. With a large gun strapped to his arm and an imposing figure, it was hard to ignore him. 

“This ain’t a goddamn show!” He shouted loudly at the ones who remained glued to their spot and shot a couple of shots in the air. “Get the hell on outta here!” The ones who remained took the hint and fled the scene as Tifa talked to the Watch guard. 

“There was no one in this warehouse, right?” She asked. 

“No! It’s just an empty warehouse, it’s not even used for storage!” 

Holding her hands up, her fingers felt wet and cold and immediately a ball of water formed in her hands that grew in size by the second. It soon flew out from her hand like tiny snakes that attacked the red beast that howled ferociously. Steam arose from where her spell whittled it down until it was nothing more than a small flame that was doused without mercy. Soon, the smoke cleared completely and only left behind the steam from when the water combatted the fire. Holding up a fist to signal them to hold their position, Lady went in first and released her fist when she saw no one in the warehouse. 

Except of course, for the burnt body lying in the middle of the floor. 

Kneeling beside it, she used her foot to turn the body over and closed her eyes when she saw the identity of the man. Beside her, Tifa and Barret approached and Tifa covered her mouth in surprise. 

“That’s… the guy from last night, isn’t it?” She said in a whisper. 

“Who? The one sayin’ there was gonna be a murder?” Barret asked. 

“Well, he was right,” Lady muttered. “Someone did get murdered.”

Though the majority of his face was burnt off in grisly fashion, some of the parts remained intact though charred- leaving enough to at least correctly identify him. What also helped was that the man wore the same brown clothes he had on last night, even more tattered and torn than it was when she saw him. 

“I thought you said no one was here!” Barret grabbed the man from the Watch. “The hell is this then!”

“I didn’t know!” He raised his hands up in defense. “This place is always empty, if he was here I should’ve heard him!”

“Barret,” Lady said with a sternness to her voice. “Let him go. He couldn’t have heard him.”

Barret gritted his teeth but did as he was told, letting him go and turning his shaded eyes to Lady. “Oh yeah? And how’s that?”

Pointing at the corpse, she motioned for him to take a closer look. “See here?” Her ginger motioned for his eyes to follow the line that crossed horizontally on his neck. “His larynx was cut.” 

“So?” 

Lady sighed. “It means he wouldn’t have been able to scream loud even if he wanted to, and here-“ she pointed to his shriveled arms that hugged together above his stomach, “-looks like he was bound, you can still see the rope if you look closely.” It was hard to differentiate the burnt braid from the skin that was charred completely around it but she was right, anyone could see the rope that held the man together by his arms. Examining his body more, Lady saw something in his mouth that was white and starkly contrasted to the crusting brown skin all around it. Ripping off a piece of her shirt, she wrapped it around her fingers and slowly opened up his jaw. It widened for her with a crunch and the sound of the leftover sinews stretching and it popped out the white thing that was hidden inside him. Holding it up with the cloth wrapped around it safely, she gave it a tiny squeeze and found the material to be paper- slightly damp still from the leftover saliva that spilled onto it. Further inspection made her look at the mouth and found it to be missing something. The tongue. 

“This is horrible..” Tifa muttered, ripping her eyes away from the man. “Who would do such a thing?... Maybe we should’ve taken him more seriously last night.”

“Don’t blame yourself,” Lady said to her. “If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine.” Standing up, she eyes the cadaver again. “I should’ve been paying more attention.” When she turned around, she saw Tifa’s eyes plastered to the wall behind her. Blinking, she followed her gaze and saw what she was staring at. On the scrapped metal wall was a message that appeared as ash fell in layers from the surface. In large, bold letters were words that made all three of them feel chills. 

It read: “YOU ARE NEXT”

Barret took off his shades to squint at it. "The fuck?"

*******

“Is everyone in this goddamn city off their goddamn rocker?!” Cid angrily exclaimed as Genesis rolled his eyes. 

“Eloquently put,” the soldier scoffed and the older mechanic stood up. 

“Whatchu say, pretty boy?” Cid got up and started towards him. ”I’ll wipe that smirk clean off your face!”

“Cid, stop,” Cloud massaged his closed eyes. “You’re too loud.”

“Yeah!” Barret shouted. “No need for all that!”

“Gods, you’re loud too,” Cloud muttered, regretting every second of being there. 

“Well there’s a murderer on the loose and you’re telling me y’all ain’t worried?” Cid asked all of them with his arms extended far. “And he said he’s gonna strike next!”

“We don’t know that for sure,” Aerith twiddled her thumbs together. “Maybe we should alert everyone in the slums?”

“He tied up a man and left him to burn,” Vincent said, the folds of his cape concealing the lower half of his face well. “He was bold. No doubt he’ll do it again. And soon.”

“Ugh, this is creepy! Why can’t we just settle things in a good ol’ fist fight! Why do we have to sneak around and stab each other in the dark?” Yuffie swung her legs over the table, she sat between Vincent and Cloud- both of which gave her a look. 

Red let out an indignant growl. “Yuffie.. it’s a murder.”

“So?” The ninja replied and the hound shook his head and rested back onto his paws. 

“You said the man didn’t have his tongue?” Vincent asked Lady who quietly inspected the plastic bag in her hands. “...Lady?”

Yuffie hopped off the table and waved her hand in front of her face. “Yoo-hoo! Come back to the planet!”

“Hm?” Lady blinked, then held up the bag to see it at eye-level. Yuffie got on her tiptoes and looked at it too. 

“What’s that?” 

“The note I got from John Doe’s mouth,” she muttered and Yuffie raised an eyebrow. 

“Who’s John Doe?”

She met her gaze. “The dead guy.”

“How do you know his name?”

“That’s not his name,” Lady smiled. “It’s a moniker given to anonymous people that couldn’t be identified.”

“You got it from his mouth?” Yuffie scrunched up his face. “That’s… gross.”

“You said his throat got cut?” Zack asked. 

“Yep,” Lady nodded.

Tifa crossed her arms and shivered. “So he got his throat cut and left to burn? What a horrible way to die.”

“No,” Lady pushed herself off the bar. “He burned alive.”

This revelation made Tifa frown. “What do you mean?”

Setting down the bag, Lady moved her hair out of the way to reveal her neck and circled the portion of her throat that was her larynx. “If I’m guessing correctly it was made shortly before his death. His vocal fold was cut, but not enough where he would bleed out right away- not before the fire could burn him anyways.” She then slid a finger up the side of her neck, an inch and a half away from her larynx. “The cut stopped before it could reach the carotid or the jugular, with surgical precision mind you.”

“The murderer did that.. just so his victim couldn’t scream?” Aerith looked disturbed. 

“Oh, he’d still be able to scream,” Genesis pointed out. “He just would be putting so much strain into doing so that he chokes on his own blood before he could burn alive. I suppose that might be the lesser evil.”

“Exactly,” Lady nodded, then held up the bag. “Whoever the murderer is, he’s leaving messages- and he’s a bit of an egocentric.”

“What’s that say?” 

“It just says ‘remember the fire’,” Lady showed them and tossed the bag to Vincent who held it up.

“Is that a leading question, or a statement?” Vincent asked himself then tossed the bag to Cloud who held it up with two fingers. 

“I don’t know,” Lady shook her head. 

“Didn’t you say his tongue was cut out?” said Sephiroth.

“Almost seems ritualistic,” Red XIII’s ears perked up at this. “Fire, the lack of a membrane, and the precision at which this was handled.”

“Maybe we can discuss this when there _aren’t_ children in the room?” Angeal said loudly, on his lap was Marlene and on her ears was his hands who hilariously covered up most of the circumference of her head. The girl looked up at him, blinking and nonverbally asking if it was safe and he nodded. Jumping down from his lap, she ran up to Lady with a large smile. 

“Can I play with the moogle doll?” She pointed at the doll that was still propped up near her flowers, it hadn’t moved from its spot all day. 

“Sure,” Lady nodded and the little girl ran back and plucked it off the table. When she did, Marlene made a face and remarked something about it being ‘slightly hard’ but no one paid it any mind. Everyone else discussed the murder and fire while multiple thoughts crossed her mind, lighting up every part of her brain and making her head hurt. It was too loud here. “I’m gonna take a walk, need to digest all of this,” she announced as she strolled past them. 

When she passed Marlene, however, Lady heard a faint beeping and an all too familiar chemical smell that emanated from the doll she was holding. Time seemed to slow all and her SNS spiked up immediately, allowing her extra time to react to the situation. “Marlene!” Lady shouted loudly and made the girl drop the doll suddenly. Snatching it before it could fall to the floor, Lady quickly placed a barrier around it and hurled it outside the doors of the bar. 

And before it could pass by the threshold, it detonated. 

It broke the hastily conjured barrier and had a blast radius that blew Lady back with force. Angeal grabbed Marlene and shielded her with his body while Vincent vaulted over the table and caught Lady before she could collide with the counter. Sephiroth and Genesis both raised their hands and formed another barrier around the bar that flickered as it absorbed the blast. Barret stood in front of the girls as Cloud and Zack made protective shields of their bodies and provided support in front of Cid and Red- although Cid seemed bothered for the most part, as if he was used to things blowing up in his face. When the dust settled, everyone glanced around warily through the thick debris that was kicked off. 

“Sound off if you’re alright!” Came Angeal’s voice. 

“H-here!”

“I’m here too!”

“Present.”

“Here.”

“That’s it? That’s one goddamn lousy explosive!”

“Holy shit!”

“Eugh, move outta the way Barret!”

“There’s dust in my eye..”

“Everyone okay?”

“What the hell was that?”

“Cloud.. You’re on my foot.”

“Marlene!” Barret moved in the direction where he last saw his daughter and Angeal followed the voice with the girl in his arms. Seeing his large form, Angeal handed her over and Barret hugged her tightly. “I’m glad you’re okay, babygirl.” As he embraced her, the air finally cleared and they could all see each other again, leaving Lady a front-row view of a father embracing his daughter lovingly; swallowing the memory that the image brought up, she turned around and thanked Vincent who still had his arm wrapped around her waist to secure her. 

“Thanks Vincent,” she murmured and he slipped his arms away from her. Standing up straight, she immediately ran to where she threw the moogle and found it laying outside face down in the dirt. It was burnt and the once cream fur it had was now blackened with soot, its red pompom disintegrated completely and she was reminded of the burnt cadaver from earlier. 

_Follow the trees. Remember the fire.. The hell does it all mean?_

Looking all around her, she saw the frightened faces of the people who barely managed to get out of the blast zone. Thankfully no one was harmed and the ground was the only thing to receive a beating. Kneeling down, she picked up the moogle and as she did, she caught a whiff of the burning compound that was inside. It reeked of chemicals. _Cyclohexanone._ Before heading back inside, she looked around her again and saw no one out of the ordinary besides the shadows that played tricks on her mind. Once there, she saw everyone patting off the dust that accumulated on themselves. 

Barret saw her and immediately approached her. “Hey! That doll of yours coulda killed my little girl!”

She checked to see if Marlene was looking at them and she continued when she saw Angeal covering her ears again, knowing what would come next. “I didn’t know it had a fucking bomb inside of it!” 

“Well you shoulda checked!” 

“You’re being unreasonable,” her mako eyes flashed and she bared her teeth. “Calm the fuck down!”

Tifa tried to step in between them but Lady glared at Barret before she walked away and held the moogle doll’s remains in Angeal’s face. “Smell it.” He gave her a look and she urged him. Taking a whiff, Angeal blinked then the light of recognition came to his eyes. She nodded at him then handed it over to Sephiroth and Genesis who’s eyes both lit up as well. “You guys recognize it, right?” 

Sephiroth nodded. “Cyclohexanone.”

“Haven’t smelled that in ages,” Genesis picked off a piece of dust from his hair and flicked it off. “What’s it doing here?”

“What is that?” Yuffie asked. “Jessie had some earlier, didn’t she?... Wait a minute, was that one of her bombs?”

“No,” Lady shook her head. “It’s a common material.. Well, if you’re dealing in arms. Anyone could get their hands on it. But in this city, the only place that could get it is-” 

“If you work for Shinra,” Angeal finished, his eyes darkening. 

“How can you guys tell just by the smell?” Tifa asked and the 1st Class shared a look before turning back to her. 

“We used these a lot..” Sephiroth nodded his head at the moogle in Lady’s hand. “In Wutai. During the war.”

“These would go off a lot,” Angeal added. “I remember my ears would be ringing for days if one set off too close to me. But this one was mild.”

“You can’t ever forget the smell either,” Genesis said quietly. 

Lady closed her eyes. He was right, you couldn’t forget it- but you couldn’t forget the screams that followed either. They all had calm faces on, but deep inside was regret. They didn’t really want to fight in the war. When she glanced over to Yuffie, she saw that the ninja had her face hidden; doing her best not to remember the war that killed so many of her clan. She wanted to go over to hug her, but what good would that do? She can’t make up for those lives by doing that. 

“Well, whoever made that bomb clearly meant it for you,” Cid said, his loud voice breaking everyone out of their daze. “Someone wants you dead, girl.”

Lady crossed her arms and leaned against the table. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

Red’s fiery tail raised up. “Could it possibly be Deepground?” 

“Well who else would want you dead?” Cloud asked and at this Lady scoffed. 

“Do you want me to name them alphabetically or chronologically?” Staring at the burnt doll in her hand, her jaw locked. "Whoever it is, I'll definitely make them regret this." An attempt on her life was something she would handle with ease, but an attempt on her friend's lives? That was an act of aggression she wouldn't be able to forgive easily. 


	19. XIX

_ “Well what should we do?” _

_ “Simple. We ask around.” _

“Excuse me sir!” Aerith stopped someone by grabbing them by the arm. Only then did the man turn around, appearing disgruntled and annoyed that he was stopped so suddenly, but upon seeing Tifa behind her with arms crossed and muscles that could easily outmatch his own- he tried his best to smile. 

Revealing an almost toothless grin, his bloodshot eyes looked between the two girls. “What can I help ya with?” His voice was raspy and gave no doubt to the state of his tar-filled lungs. 

“Have you seen anyone in that warehouse last night that looked suspicious?” Tifa asked. 

_ “Make sure you maintain eye contact with them, most people can’t lie with a straight face. If they were a witness, they’re sure to display nervous behavior.”  _

Tifa’s eyes bore holes into the man and she crossed her arms, displaying the intensely toned muscle in her lean arms. “Anyone that was playing with fire maybe?”

“Just answer and we’ll be on our way,” Aerith added. 

“I-I don’t know what y’all talking about.” There it was. The man shifted his eyes down to the ground for a second. Only a brief second. But Aerith and Tifa shared one look before Tifa stepped in front with her hands on her hips. 

“We need to ask you some questions, come with us,” she said.

“Please!” added Aerith. 

_ “Of course, anyone suspicious would do. Covering their faces, avoiding eye contact- especially to those who were involved in their little bomb scheme.” _

“You there!” Yuffie jumped down from the roof and in front of a man who choked on his drink. Scared and surprised, he dropped the can and immediately turned on his heels to get away from her. “Oh no, you don’t! Come here!”

“What the hell do you want?!” he screamed loudly. “You already made me drop my drink!” 

The ninja ignored him. “Were you in Sector 7 last night?”

“Wha- Sector 7? Hell no!” 

Squinting her brown eyes at him, Yuffie puffed up her cheeks and stepped back. “I don’t think I remember seeing you so I’ll let you off this time buddy!” Holding her hand up, she threw down a spherical object and it immediately filled the area she was standing in with smoke. When it cleared, the man didn’t see her afterwards. 

_ “If all else fails, just trust your gut.” _

Cloud tapped Zack on the shoulder and looked at a guy who kept his head down low and isolated himself from the rest of the people in the restaurant. They were both in Sector 6 and scouted out anyone that could possibly fit their arsonist and murderer from last night. Zack quickly gave him a once over and nodded at Cloud. Standing up, they both tried to approach the man and immediately saw the strange clothing he had on; dark fabrics concealed himself well and a hood was pulled over his head that hung low till it reached the tip of his nose; boots covered with soot that appeared lighter on the material made Cloud’s eyes narrow more. 

This guy seemed suspicious alright. 

But before he could reach him, a guy from one of the nearby tables stood up and bumped into the blond- spilling his lukewarm beer all over his shirt. “Es-cuse meee?” the man frowned, his speech slurred tremendously. “Get the f-ACK outta mah way, punkkk!” Raising his fist, he sluggishly punched the air that was ten inches from Cloud’s head. “I hate youuu.” His next hit was successfully planted in the form of a knee to Cloud’s groin. 

Doubling over, Cloud gritted his teeth and Zack wrapped his arms around him and held him back. “Calm down, he’s just drunk. Cloud, chill out!”

“I am chill!” Cloud shrugged him off with an irritated look and waited for the drunk guy’s friends to hold him back too before turning back to the man he saw earlier. “Shit, he’s gone.” In the seat where they saw him, there was no longer anyone there. Zack pulled on him to follow him outside and the two went back-to-back as they searched the streets of Wall Market to try and find where their hooded friend ran off to. 

“You take this half, I’ll take the other?” Zack offered and Cloud nodded then they both sprinted in opposite directions to search for the man in the hood. 

Zack’s bright blue eyes scanned the neon-lit streets of Wall Market to look for anyone who stood out. Though, admittedly, it was hard to distinguish the weirdo from the weirdos here; as everyone had a distinct and loud style that distracted from the otherwise simple robed man. Taking deep breaths, he carefully looked at everyone one by one and cursed to himself when nothing came up. Bringing his phone to his ear, he called Cloud and waited for the other to pick up but was instead met with a voicemail:  _ “Cloud Strife, leave a message _ .” 

“The hell,” Zack muttered. It was unusual for Cloud to ignore a phone call, let alone from him. Plus he knew the guy had his phone on him before they left, they all did! 

A sudden realization hit him and he cursed loudly before backtracking his steps and going where he saw Cloud run off to. Pushing past the crowds with some giving him glares as he did, his breaths exited him in hefty pants and he ran into the alleyway when he saw a flash of blond hair moving in the shadows. “Cloud!” Zack called and followed into the twisting brick alleyways, ignoring the trash that kicked away from his feet as he picked up the pace. “Cloud, answer me!”

Blue eyes looked at him in the darkness and blond spikes followed after. But it was what was behind his head that alerted Zack, because his head was directly in front of a barrel of a gun. 

The person behind them had their face concealed by the hood they wore and all he could see were dark eyes peering from the rim of the fabric. “Tell me where she is.” A deep and raspy voice came from under the hood, sounding like a frog that was minutes before expiring. “And I won’t hurt your friend,” to further prove his point he pushed Cloud’s head forward as the blond had his hands raised up and in full view. 

Zack circled around slowly. “What do you mean.. Who are you talking about?”

“You know who!!” He rasped out and it echoed in the alleyway. “Bring her to me, or else I’ll-”

“Go Zack,” Cloud urged him. “Run.”

Zack shook his head. “I’m not leaving you here.”

“How touching,” came the croaking voice. “But you’re wasting my time, bring her to me!!”

Cloud closed his eyes. “Over my dead body, bitch.”

“That can be arranged,” he said, followed by the sound of a gun cocking. 

Opening his eyes, he ducked and brought his leg up to kick the guy in the chest. Surprised, their hooded attacker brought his gun up and let out a shot. Given the proximity of the brick walls, the bullet ricocheted off the surfaces and when it stopped- Zack let out a soft groan. Cloud immediately turned around to see Zack holding the side of his abdomen and slumping against the wall closest to him. Even in the darkness of the alleyway, he could see the dark red that seeped through his fingers. Rushing over to him, Cloud caught him before he could fall over. 

“Zack.. oh my gods, I’m so sorry. I-” Cloud’s words were cut off as he felt a needle being jabbed into his neck. Before his eyes closed completely, he turned around to see the hooded figure discard the needle in a hot flame that arose from his hands. 

“If you’re not willing to comply, then I will force you to,” were the last words that Cloud heard before passing out on the trash covered floor. 

*******

“Look, for the last time, I don’t know what you’re talkin’ bout or who you lookin’ for!” The man with an almost toothless smile replied. “I ain’t start no fires!”

Tifa let out a frustrated groan, “We’re not accusing you! We’re just asking if you just seen anybody!” She stopped herself and shook her head, muttering something about adopting the man’s style of speech after spending so long interrogating him. “We just need you to cooperate, that’s all.”

“Who’re you? The police?!” 

From the door, Lady came through and gave Tifa and Aerith a confused look at the guy sitting, no- strapped to the chair while they both stood in front of him with a menacing stare. Or the best they could conjure up anyways. Lady walked by and let out a loud sigh. “Oh gods, what I wouldn’t do for a smoke right now,” she turned towards him, “you got a light? I lost mine.”

“Get me outta these binds, I ain’t do nothin’ missy!” he said and she quickly loosened them, watching him shimmy out of it and rub at his wrists. Then with a quick flick of the rope and hand, she popped out the rectangular shape in his pocket and out came a gold-plated lighter with silver monogramming it in cursive. It was polished and clean, nothing like the man who possessed it. The man turned his head in reflex when he heard it drop to the ground, thinking it fell out of his pocket. 

“Ah, there we go! Just what I needed,” Lady swiped it up before he could grab it from the floor. Popping the lighter open, she inspected the inside quickly before lighting it up and holding it close to her nose. “Mind if I use this? Thanks buddy.”

“‘Ey! That’s mine!” The man swiped it from her hands and quickly pocketed it again. “The hell’s wrong with you?!”

“A lot,” Lady said quickly. “Sorry to keep you here, sir, you can go now.”

“Uh, right,” the man nodded then grumbled something else out of earshot before exiting the bar. 

“What was that?” said Tifa. 

“You smoke?” asked Aerith. 

“No,” Lady said to Aerith, then turned to Tifa. “I just needed to check his lighter.”

“How did you know he had a lighter, and why did you need to check it?”

“Because I saw it in his pocket when you guys had him strapped down,” Lady leaned against a table. “Plus I needed to smell the flame.”

“Uh, alright, for what reason?”

“It helps me deduce what type of flame was used when the fire started.”

“Wait, what do you mean and you think he could’ve done it?”

“On the contrary, he didn’t. That lighter he had, it was too valuable for him to use it for something like that. Noticed the engraving on it? It said ‘I love you’ plus he keeps it nice and polished. If I were going to do a job like that in his shoes, I would’ve used something disposable and less valuable,” Lady made a motion of striking a match against a box and dropping it onto the floor. “Plus it looks like he doesn’t use it that much. The wick was clean, no sign of soot or frayed edges.” 

“I mean.. Couldn’t he have wiped that off? He looked strong enough to hold someone down, so we thought he was a good candidate.”

“Yeah, he did,” she nodded. “But his hands,” she held it up for the two girls to see and she began trembling voluntarily, “he’s suffering from withdrawal, tobacco, I’m guessing. Someone like that wouldn’t make such a clean cut like we saw on our John Doe.”

Aerith stepped forward. “About the flames, you said you needed to know what type of flame it was?” 

“Yeah, it didn’t smell like the one from his lighter.. was there anyone who first saw the fire?”

“The guy from the Watch!” Tifa exclaimed. “Should I get him?”

“You should,” she nodded. “I’m going to go outside to take a breather for a while.” Following Tifa outside, Lady veered left and hopped down to the path leading to the alleyway going towards their secret bunker. Stopping to fix her shirt, she continued onto the bunker but bristled when she heard gravel being crunched behind her. 

Someone was following. 

Maintaining her cool, she kept walking but slowed down so that her footsteps weren’t so heavy and she’d be able to hear better. After five steps, she heard the other person gaining in faster and Lady braced herself for the moment her stalker would come into close proximity. Five.. four.. three.. two.. one. A hand grabbed her shoulder and she immediately turned on her heels as her sword materialized in her hand and she brought it up to the person’s neck. But her aggressive face soon melted when she stared into a very familiar set of heterochromic eyes. 

“Yuna!” Lady breathed and her sword immediately disappeared. “By the Six, don’t sneak up on me like that!” 

“Sorry,” Yuna giggled and grinned. “I was so happy to see you, I couldn’t help it!” 

Lady let out a sigh and looked down the alleyways before turning her attention to the budding summoner. “You shouldn’t be here. It’s dangerous. Why aren’t you with your dad?”

“I wanted to see you,” she pouted. “You always leave without saying a word.”

“Yeah, well.. runs in the family I guess,” Lady muttered quietly. “Come on, I need to take you home.”

“Nope, I’m staying with you,” she insisted. “Please?” 

“Yuna-”

“I won’t be any trouble, promise!” Yuna stood fast and no matter what Lady would do, she wouldn’t be able to sway her. She was stubborn like that. 

“Fine, but stay close!” At this Yuna smiled and stood at attention by her side. Together they walked back to the bar and saw Red, Yuffie, Cid, and Barret on standby at the bar with Aerith. As soon as they saw Lady, she gestured to the small-statured girl beside her and made eye contact with everyone. “Hey guys, this is Yuna.. we’re-”

“Childhood friends!” Yuna smiled and bowed her head respectfully, a traditional Spiran greeting but otherwise outdated in a modern city like Midgar. Still, Lady saw the group see this as endearing.

“Hi!” Aerith was the first to greet her and shook her hand. “Oh you’re adorable! Lady you didn’t tell us you had such a cute friend!”

“Ooh, your dress looks fancy,” Yuffie bounded over to them and inspected the traditional garment that Yuna had on. Lady groaned internally. Looking like that, people would no doubt try to rob her if she walked through the wrong part of town. 

“I want a dress like that,” Aerith hummed, “we should all go topside and go shopping. You’ll come too, won’t you Yuna?”

“Now, wait a minute,” Lady started but was cut off as Yuna walked in front of her. 

“I’d love to! I heard stories of Midgar. I always wanted to visit,” the summoner said in her practiced, polite speech. 

“Girls night out!” Yuffie hollered triumphantly. “I love it, plenty of rich people to swipe things from-” she stopped when both Aerith and Lady gave her a pointed look. “I mean, plenty of cool things to look at!... From afar.”

Yuna’s eyes glanced over to the table with the large bouquet on it. Still in its glass container and not having moved since the bombing, she walked over to it and inspected the vibrant chrysanthemums and spider-lilies. Blinking, she glanced over to Lady and then to the others, “Did someone die?”

“Whatchu mean, little girl?” Cid asked and Yuna pointed at the flowers. 

“Back home, we always set these out when someone’s passed. They’re funeral flowers.”

Aerith looked to Lady. “Was that what you were trying to tell us last night? Before the fire?”

“Yeah,” Lady muttered. “I almost forgot.”

“Probably meant them for us!” Barret clenched his fist. “Sending us a damn bomb to blow us all away. I’ll make them pay.”

Red lifted his watchful eyes to the party. “Where’s Vincent, and those three?”

“Sephiroth’s at the bunker, Angeal and Gen are probably there too if they’re not out looking for fancy new weapons. Vincent went off somewhere, you know, as he usually does,” said Lady. It was almost hysterical to her that those three couldn’t explore as much as they wanted to. Someone would no doubt recognize them, especially a war hero like Sephiroth. Plus the fact that his hair was so unnatural that it made him stand out like a sore thumb from the common rabble. 

“I found him!” Tifa returned with the guy from last night who looked completely bewildered. 

“Uh, you needed me for something?” he asked. 

Lady wasted no time. “Last night, did you see the fire first?”

“Yes-”

“Did you smell anything beforehand?”

“Like what?”

“Wood, gas, chemicals?”

“I don’t think so?”

“I need a confirmation, don’t give me assumptions.”

The Watch man swallowed then looked to the ceiling, trying to remember the details. “I smelled wood burning, after a couple minutes of seeing the fire?”

“Huh,” she tapped her foot impatiently. “Is that it?”

“And I swore I smelled barbeque.. But I guess it came from the dead guy.” His comment made Tifa, Aerith, and Yuffie gag silently as Lady maintained his gaze. 

“Is that it?” She repeated, when he nodded she took out a gil from her pocket and tossed it to him. “Thanks. Bye.” Watching him leave, her tapping got faster. “Wood.. after a couple seconds..” she spoke to herself, eyes glazing over. “Interesting.”

“Mind filling us in?” said Tifa.

Lady snapped out of her reverie. “It narrows down the list, our murderer can use magic.”

“How the hell do you know that?” Cid frowned. 

“Magical fire doesn’t smell,” Lady said in a matter-of-fact tone. “It only smells after it’s come into contact with something.” They gave her looks of disbelief and she sighed, walking over to the bar and grabbing an old newspaper from last week. “Observe.” Holding the newspaper in one hand while her other stood empty, a large pillar of purple flame shot forth from her palm and she held it out for everyone to see. “What does it smell like?”

“Nothing,” Red answered quickly, his nose being the keenest. 

Lady held it towards Barret who scrunched his nose up. “Turn the heat down, won’t ya?! You’ll burn my damn face off!” The purple died down to a soft orange and Barret grumbled as he sniffed it. “Huh, Red’s right, nothin’. 

“Let me smell,” Yuffie and Aerith leaned in to sniff and Tifa followed soon after. 

“Nothing, right?” She asked her audience and they watched as the fire danced between her fingers. “Now, what happens when I add in something to the flame?” Tipping the newspaper to the fire, the dried paper charred black after the orange flame traveled down the black inked columns and filled the room with the smell of burnt organic material. Their faces changed to one of belief and she extinguished the fire, having proved her point. 

“So what, the guy can use magic. Probably materia, right?” Yuffie tilted her head. 

“There’s people who exist that can use magic without the use of materia,” Lady hummed. “We can probably rule Aerith and I out.” 

“You don’t use materia?” Yuffie frowned. “So you’re saying you can use magic freely?”

“Hah, that’s some bullshit, even the Lucian’s can’t use magic without some doohickey crystal mumbo jumbo!” Cid said, lighting up a cigarette and putting it between his teeth. “My uncle said so!”

Lady frowned just as a coating of ice appeared on the tip of his cigarette, drenching it in unnatural coldness. “It’s a gift, for some.”

“It’s common in Spira,” Yuna confirmed, holding out her hand as a gust of wind blew some of the flower petals from the vase into her palm. “Though, some are more attuned to mana than others.”

“Mhm,” she mused. “Just gotta find the right guy.. Hey, has anyone seen Cloud or Zack?”

A flash of red and black came at the door and the group saw Vincent walk in with his face in a more sour expression than usual. “Lady, come with me.”

“What’s happened?” Lady stood at alert, a bad feeling rolling in her gut. 

“Zack’s been shot and Cloud’s incapacitated,” he said and immediately Lady approached him. 

“When and where?” Her voice barely left her in a breathless voice.

“I’ll tell you after they see some medical attention,” he walked back outside and Lady turned to Yuna.

“Stay here, I’ll see to them.”

Yuna wanted to follow. “But-”

“Yuna, please! Just do as you’re told. Stay here,” Lady said sternly and she saw how the summoner shrank at her voice and she immediately regretted how harsh she sounded. But she would have to apologize later. 

“Wait!” Tifa grabbed her arm, her eyes filled with worry. “Please, let me know if Cloud will be alright.. Please and Zack too?” The amount of concern in her voice would be enough to fill the whole room. She nodded at her and quickly exited the bar to follow Vincent through the alleyway. 

“How bad is it?” She asked him, now that they were outside of earshot from the others. 

“It won’t be as bad as me, that’s for sure,” he said in a gruff voice as he picked up the pace. “Found them lying in an alleyway just earlier when I heard some people talking about hearing a gunshot. Took my chances and found those two.” He swiped his keycard onto the bunker and they both stepped inside with the metal door sliding quickly behind him. 

Angeal looked up just as they walked in and she immediately ran to him. “How’s his condition?” She asked, noticing his forehead was creased with worry. 

“He’s gone pale,” he said in a steady voice and stepped aside to reveal Cloud and Zack lying on the ground with a canvas laid out under them. 

Lady walked over to them and took in the sight. Cloud was indeed out cold, his veins a stark blue against his skin while Zack looked paler than usual with a veil of sweat on his skin. Pressing two fingers deep into the upper portion of his neck, she pressed until she felt the familiar beats of a pulse thump against her finger; turning to Cloud, she repeated the process and found that his was slower, fainter. Holding out her hand, her sword flashed and she carefully lifted the edge of the blade under his nose and sighed in relief when she saw the surface fog up from his breath. 

“A paralytic,” she told them. “Cloud will be fine in a couple hours, I need to see about Zack.” The wound on the black-haired soldier’s abdomen already had clots forming and it was an otherwise clean entry. Lifting him up just slightly, he let out a groan as she dipped her head to see the backside and found there to be no exit wound. “Shit,” she said quietly then looked up at Angeal and Vincent. “The bullet’s still inside him.”

“I found traces of a struggle in that alleyways,” Vincent pointed out. “Whoever it was, they probably shot the gun there and it ricocheted off the walls and hit him.” He was right, of course. He probably knew guns better than anyone here. If the bullet bounced off the walls, it would lose velocity from the impacts before it hit him- she hoped it didn’t break into shrapnels on the way in. 

Zack muttered something incoherent when she placed him back down and opened his eyes to blink. “Mom?” He asked and Lady smiled, it reminded her of the time she first saved Zack, but she still didn’t remember who he was. 

“No, it’s me,” she said and placed the back of her hand on his forehead and felt the heat come from it. “Can you do me a favor?” Her hands were already rolling up his shirt to get a clear view. 

“Hmm?”

She hastily removed her belt and folded it up then held it in front of his lips. “Bite down on this for me?” Zack lazily opened his mouth and did as he was told. She glanced up at Angeal, “In my bathroom are tweezers, can you get them for me?” She then looked to Sephiroth who appeared from his room. “Take Cloud to one of the spare beds. There was a packet of charcoal pills in the kitchen, open them up and mix it in a 1:1 ratio with water. Prop him up and make sure he drinks it and don’t let him spit it out!” 

“Got the charcoal already,” Genesis shook the tablets and tossed them over to Sephiroth as he picked Cloud up easily. 

Angeal came back with her tweezers and she thanked him as she tied her hair back hastily. Taking it, Genesis watched as flames consumed her hands and wrist along with the tweezers, once it died down, she glanced up at him again. “Alcohol?” she asked politely and he set the bottle down beside her, already knowing she would ask. “Angeal, pour some of it on the wound.” 

He did as he was told and poured the clear liquid liberally all over the wound and surrounding areas. She heard the leather strain under Zack’s teeth and she shushed him. “I’m not gonna lie,” she said, “but this might hurt, so bear it for me will you?” His silence was his confirmation and she stuck into his open flesh with her tweezers and dug straight down; he winced under the new sharp pain as Angeal held his head back down to prevent him from moving. “You’ll be fine,” she kept muttering to him as she heard the inner lining of his muscle squelch at the foreign invader that was burrowing deeper down. 

“What angle?” she asked Vincent without looking away. 

“It veered off to the right.”

“Good,” she nodded, following the hole. “It barely missed his intestine.” Blood spurted out and flooded under her nails as she dug in deeper, she was halfway in when she felt something hard underneath. Spreading her tweezers wide, she grasped at the bullet and with the utmost caution, lifted it up slowly until the wet projectile came into view. Covered in blood, she examined it and sighed in relief when she saw that it was intact. No fragments. 

Dropping it into the canvas beside his body, she saw Genesis hold his hand out with a needle and thread in it. She took it with a smile. “Thanks nurse,” she told him and she heard him chuckle in response. “Disinfect again,” she instructed Angeal as her hands were once more covered in flames, if the bullet didn’t kill him- surely, it’d be sepsis. Threading the needle, she began closing up the wound swiftly as Zack shut his eyes tight, whimpering at her constantly stabbing through his skin. “Sorry,” she kept apologizing as she zig-zagged across the gaping wound and stopped, giving it one last tug to force the skin to close. Leaning back, she placed the dressing over it and looked down at her hands that were stained with crimson. 

“He’ll be fine, give him time to rest,” she told the three of them with a strained smile. “I need to wash my hands, excuse me.”

“Lady..” Zack mumbled after spitting out her belt. “Guy.. looking… for you….” 

“You need rest, we’ll talk after you’re better,” Angeal urged him and Zack’s eyes fluttered close. 

Lady’s smile strained even more and she brushed against Vincent who watched her flee the room towards her own. Once in her room, she rushed to her bathroom and turned on the sink to the hottest water possible. Using the side of her wrist to pump soap into her hands, she watched the clear suds turn red as she scrubbed. Letting it run under the hot water, she watched her skin turn slightly pink under the increased temperature. Blinking slowly, she tried to wash away the image of Cloud and Zack passed out on the canvas. She knew they’d be fine- but what if they weren’t? What if Vincent hadn’t found them? 

When she looked at herself in the mirror, purple eyes with thinly dilated slits stared back. 

Anger took hold of her as she watched her reflection fog up as the hot water left steam on the surface. Her jaw locked when she faced the truth of it all. Whoever did this to them was clearly looking for her. She was their target and yet they willingly hurt people who were close to her. Surely they would strike again and she couldn’t imagine who would be next. Now that Yuna was here, her anxiety spiked up even more. She needed to find the bastard before he struck again. 

From behind her, she saw Vincent appear beside her reflection. “You okay?” he asked. 

“I’m fine,” she muttered. “Zack and Cloud need your concern more than I do.”

Vincent’s lips formed a thin line and he shut the bathroom door behind him. “Wrong answer, try again.” 

Turning off the water, she leaned against the sink. “What do you want me to say Vincent? Whatever it is, it’s not gonna help us find our killer.”

“You need to calm down,” he said, looking at her eyes that seethed rage. Purple fire danced behind her irises and when she grimaced, he noticed the canines of her teeth almost protruded into fangs. “Don’t make it personal.”

“‘Don’t make it personal’,” she mocked, “it  _ is  _ personal. They hurt Cloud and Zack to get to me!”

“I know,” he said, maintaining his steady tone that infuriated her more. “Just relax.”

“I am relaxed,” she growled. “I need to check on Cloud,” pushing past him, she stopped when he grabbed her wrist.

“Jenova’s darkness, it still has a hold on you,” he said quietly and was met with an angry flash of purple. 

“Jenova’s not here anymore,” she growled. “Whatever darkness is here, it’s purely my own.” Snatching her hand from him, she opened the door and left him alone to go see Cloud. 

Sephiroth took him to a room that had stacked boxes inside of it, with the blond propped up against the wall and his lips stained with black grit as Sephiroth held a cup of charcoal to his mouth. He looked slightly out of his element as a caretaker and so she walked over to take the cup from him. “I’ll finish up here, you’ve done enough,” she said to him. 

“You sure?” he said then frowned when he noticed her eyes. “Are you-”

“I’m fine. Please,” her voice sounded cold and distant and he took it as a hint. Getting up, he left her and Cloud alone as she took his place and tipped the drink into his mouth. Wiping off the excess that dripped from his lips, she sighed when it stained her hands black. First red, now black. When he received a mouthful, she closed it and tilted his head back. Cloud groaned and frowned at the taste of grit sliding down his throat. It was an unpleasant experience for him. 

“Cloud?” She called. “Can you hear me?” 

“Mmph. Mhm,” he nodded and when she tipped the glass into his mouth again, he shook his head. “Mmm no.”

“You have to,” she sighed. “You have a toxin in your body.”

Begrudgingly, he opened his mouth again as she tipped the black sludge into it. Swallowing voluntarily this time, he smacked his lips in disgust when it went down. Mumbling, his hand moved from his pants and to his lap as he lied down on the bed, snuggling his face into the pillow- revealing a white card that stuck out from his pocket. Frowning, she squinted and saw it was of the same stock as the one she had on the bouquet. Holding her breath, she fished it out and saw it was blank- until she turned it over. 

In the same script, it said: ‘Follow the trees’. But this time, it had a drawing of a building she saw once before. The same one she was nearby when the kids of Sector 5 once asked her to kill off their monsters. Crumpling it in her hand, she set the drink on the box beside Cloud’s bed and got up. Shutting the room behind her, Genesis looked up from carrying Zack onto the couch.

“Where are you going?” he asked her. 

“For a walk, I’ll be back,” she replied without turning around and left the bunker without another word. Waiting until the metal doors shut behind her, she took off into a leisurely stroll. 

*******

The spot which the minimap pointed her to was a dilapidated warehouse with moonlight flitting through the cracked metal sheets that made up the roof. It smelled of rust and animal droppings and as soon as she passed by the door, she spotted a painting on the wall next to the doors. A wisteria tree. If she didn’t know she was at the right place before, she did now. 

Stepping inside, she closed the door behind her and closed out the major source of light and filled the room with darkness- save for the tiny lunar beams coming down. As her feet stopped moving, the soft pale light was replaced with a harsher one as fires lit up the perimeter of the room and doorway, effectively blocked her in. On the walls, she now saw it, more painted wisteria trees that led towards a hallway. 

_ Follow the trees.  _

Doing as the note told her, she followed the trail of burning trees and towards another part of the warehouse that was cleared out. Lit brightly with more of the flames, she felt a droplet of sweat trickle down the side of her face from the heat and found the room to be empty- save for the body in the middle. Except this one was alive. 

“At last,” a man in a dark hood faced her and underneath it, she saw the shadow of a smile. 

“Are you part of Deepground?” She asked loudly over the flames. They were loud and swayed dangerously over the walls, but not enough so that they would burn down the place. Not yet anyways. Inhaling deeply, she found there to be no scent except for the rust and animal excrement- signs of the arcane being used. 

“Deepground?” The man seemed genuinely confused then let out a raspy laugh that mixed well with the crackling fire. “For the daughter of General Onna, you’re quite stupid.”

Lady blinked then smiled. “You’re a long way from Spira. And just for me? I’m flattered.”

He began pacing to the right and she to the left, both of them not taking their eyes off of each other as they drew a circle on the dirt floor with their steps. “I would think you had us figured out, after the flowers I sent you.” 

“Well,” Lady shrugged. “I was preoccupied.” She did her best to search the parts of the warehouse concealed by the shadows cast by the fire all the while trying to keep her eyes on him. The hooded man used a plural term and she doubted he used it as the royal ‘we’, there would be more when he attacked. She just had to figure out where from. 

“I’ll admit, I didn’t expect summoner Yuna to be here. You were supposed to be the only target.” They stopped pacing. “You’ve caused a great deal of trouble for us, you and your mother.”

At this, she snorted loudly. “What? She made a deal with the devil or something? I don’t know about my mother, but how much trouble could a child really bring? I was 10 when I left home.” 

“It’s not what you did,” he growled and the flames grew brighter. “It’s what you are, and inevitably what you will do!” Her face remained still as he reached up to retract the hood to reveal a bald head with marks all over it; raised scars that permanently marred his face and were still dark in color despite the years they’ve been there. Under his eyes was violet paint that crossed up towards his head to form what looked like horns protruding outwards. 

A subtle change of her expression happened when she saw those painted markings. She’d seen them before. “What does your little priesthood want? Mad that I pissed off your boss?”

“Don’t speak of the Draconian with that blasphemous tongue!” he hissed. 

“Or what?” She challenged him. “You’ll cut off my tongue like that poor fool last night?”

A smile formed on his lips. “We did something similar to a man many, many years ago. But before we could find you, your mother got in the way and slaughtered my men!” His voice shook with palpable rage as he ran a hand over the bumpy scars on his head at the memory still obviously fresh on his mind. “She left me alive, but barely. That disgusting monster, she killed many that night.” 

The hairs on Lady’s neck and arms stood up straight. Was she hearing this correctly?... If she was, this man was responsible for the night their home burnt down. Her eyes darted across the room and saw all the trees. Though painted, she swore she could smell burning wood again. Thinking back, she shut her eyes when she thought about the bouquet of chrysanthemums and spider-lilies, the same one she left at her dad’s grave. And the moogle… 

The man laughed loudly. “Has the cursed child finally remembered?”

“That night..” she took a deep breath. “Those weren’t monsters that ripped him apart..” She’d been telling herself that for years, that somehow monsters entered their home and gutted him. She sealed that memory away for years. But now it made so much more sense, the way he hid her and the scared look on his face. It wasn’t monsters, it was men. 

“We’re going to finish what we should’ve long ago,” he grinned and she saw the drool slip from the side of his mouth as he licked his lips excitedly. “Killing you and delivering your corpse to your mother, right before we kill her too.”

Lady felt adrenaline pumping through her body, prepping her for a fight. “What kind of priest would be okay with taking a human life?”

“Oh, you poor, stupid child,” he tutted and wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve. “All this time, did you think you were really human?”

She frowned. “...What do you mean?” Stepping towards him, she stopped and looked up as a second robed man fell from the roof with a knife in his hand. She stepped out of the way as yet another leapt from the roof and dug his knife right into her back. Hands wrapped around her neck as the knife dug just above her scapula and brushed against the bone while a fist collided with her face and broke the skin of her lip. Biting down on her wound, she denied them the pleasure of her screams as she looked up at them with rage searing through her eyes. 

The first hooded man approached her while the other two dug her knees into the ground and forced her head down, making the blade ride up her shoulder more. When he was close, they pulled her up by her hair painfully, forcing her to stare up at him. 

“Such anger,” he remarked, searching her eyes. “Just like your mother when we killed her husband.” He took out a knife from the underfolds of his robe. “You’ll die, in this decrepit place, in this disgusting city-” more robed men came out from the shadows, all of them priests from the same temple her mother served in, “-you filthy, fucking half-breed.”

Lady’s eyes gave off a glow as she searched the room and counted twenty-two, including the one in front of her. She glared up at him. “Shiva,” her breath escaped in an icy fog, “lights out.” 

At once, a cold gust of wind went through the warehouse, too cold for Midgar at this time of the year and the flames that surrounded the room extinguished in a loud hiss followed by two sets of pained groans. The priest was taken aback, looking all around him then quickly set up a fire in his hands and extended it till it illuminated the ground in front of him- revealing the two other priests now lying on the ground and their target missing. Footsteps made him turn around hastily, his own beating heart a deafening sound in his ears. 

“She’s got the Glacian with her!” One priest cried and they all looked around with their flames in their hands, searching the dark corners of the warehouse for any sign of their quarry. 

“Be strong, brother. She still won’t be able to take all of us down,” another priest said to the one next to him and did a double take when he saw that his head seemed to be facing him yet his body was still turned around. It took him a moment to realize, but it was a moment too late as when he pulled out his gun, a hand grabbed it and snapped his wrist turning it back around to have him face it. The last thing he ever saw in his life was him staring down the barrel of his own gun right before it fired.

When that gunshot rang out, the others were immediately alerted and they all turned in that direction. Blood spurted out in one of their faces and the other next to him opened up his mouth to scream but found it stuffed with a gun and this time he heard the gunshot very, very closely. Pushing his now limp body against another, she shot him through until the bullets pierced through the back of his skull and all the layers of his skin until it shot the others beside her. Using the dead priest’s body as a shield, she heard the gun click empty and kicked his body towards others that sent them back onto the floor. 

A braid of rope then came from behind her and pulled back sharply, choking her out as another attacked her from the front with a knife. Pushing forward and sending her head back, she twisted the man’s arms and switched places with him in a twirl as the knife stabbed him instead. Taking the knife that was freshly coated with blood, she discarded the body in front of her and grabbed the other by the shoulder as she gutted him one, two, three times before taking it out and sidestepping when another made an attempt that was poorly conceived. The sound of bones breaking echoed loudly in the warehouse as another just had his wrist dislocated, elbow disjointed, and finally nose bashed in as she grabbed his head and brought it down to her knee that rose up to meet him. Taking his knife, she stabbed it into his neck and she felt warm liquid splatter onto her face from direct contact. 

Darkness filled the room and it was only from the flashes of fire and gunshots that lit it up temporarily. Another priest with a spell readied in his hand found his wrist twisting as she grabbed it and forced it to another’s face; when the skin was burnt off and the other stopped moving, she sent her elbow back and felt it collide with his jaw. 

She could’ve used her sword to avoid the bruises and cuts forming on her hands and arms. But she didn’t want to. She could’ve been merciful and made their deaths less painful. But she didn’t want to. 

They hadn’t shown mercy to her father and she most certainly wouldn’t provide them with that kindness. 

Bodies dropped all around her in a flurry of silent anger and blood and when the room lit up again, the priest with the scarred head found himself the only one standing. 

His eyes frantically searched the pile to see if any one of them were moving and panic settled in when none of them were. He looked back up at the cursed child that they were sent to kill and with the roaring flames behind her that started to consume the building, he was brought back to that day he had faced Onna. Their semblance was striking and he swallowed as fear planted him to the ground he stood on. Her eyes were glowing purple and thinly dilated as she stalked over to him, feet picking up over heads that were just alive only seconds ago. 

“S-stay back, monster!” He screamed and tripped over one of the bodies in his attempt to scramble away. “Don’t come any closer!!” Lady’s hand swooped down and picked him up, and with one hand she lifted him back up to where they were eye level. “I won’t talk.. You can’t make me!” 

“I know,” was all she said and a glint of metal caught his eye as she brought it forth and sent the knife into his larynx, cutting only where the vocal and vestibular fold met but not the arteries and veins nearby; giving him enough time to scream if he wanted, but not before the blood choked him. 

Dropping him, he fell to his knees and opened his mouth to let out a raspy yell but of course she wasn’t done yet. Grabbing his tongue with nails digging into the fleshy organ, she swiftly cut it out and tossed it aside, letting it hit a dead man’s head with a moist sound- all the while maintaining eye contact with him and not breaking it for a second. It was traditional in Spira to cut a traitor’s tongue out and these men- the same ones that prayed beside her mother, betrayed her by killing one of her own. To her, it was fitting. 

“Send the Draconian my regards,” she said with coldness permeating her voice that greatly contrasted the flames around her; from her back pocket, she retrieved something and dropped it in front of him. A handful of crushed chrysanthemums and a single spider-lily. He looked up at her, eyes bulging with fear as the warehouse came down around them.

And when she walked away from the bloodbath, the flames rose ever higher until the smoke was able to touch the upper plate. 

*******

Yuna was already up before Aerith could wake her. The florist grinned when she saw the summoner folding up her sheets so as to not leave a mess. Yuna bowed her head when she saw her and smiled, “Good morning!”

“Morning!” Aerith had her fingers tying her hair with a ribbon and looked out the window. “It’s a nice day out, ready to head to the bar?”

“Yes!” Yuna stood up and as soon as Aerith finished braiding her hair, she motioned for her to follow. Both of the girls bound down the stairs and Elmyra looked up to see the both of them. 

She greeted them with a nod. “Good morning, girls. Headed over to Tifa’s?” 

“Yup, gonna check if our boys are okay and help the others out,” Aerith pushed Yuna out the door gently by her shoulders. “We’ll be back soon, mom!” 

Once outside, Yuna admired the flowers and squatted down to feel their petals, gasping in surprise when one of them flew off in a gust of wind and landed in the clear pond below. She watched as the pink petal disturbed a lily pad, bobbing up and down before it became a makeshift boat that sailed with ease. “You have a beautiful home,” Yuna told Aerith. 

“Thanks,” she smiled widely. “It was hard work, but I’d say it’s worth it. C’mon, let’s get going!”

The two girls walked closely as they passed by a group of people that were crowded around a television watching something. As they walked by, Yuna heard the words ‘fire’ and ‘bodies’ but she didn’t get a chance to look at it as Aerith quickly navigated her way through the crowd and she had no choice but to follow shortly. 

“Thank you for letting me stay with you,” Yuna said to her when they passed by a chocobo stall.

“Of course,” she replied. “I know Lady would throw a fit if we didn’t let you stay somewhere nice.” When they passed by the large metal overpass, Aerith turned her head to her. “Hey so, tell me how you and Lady met. There must be a story there, right?”

“Yes,” Yuna smiled at the memories that were conjured up. “She’s very kind, and always so protective. We met as kids. She found me playing by myself on the beach and we’ve grown close since. The other kids on the island made fun of me-”

“Made fun of you? How?” Aerith was shocked. “You’re so pretty!”

“Thank you,” she smiled sweetly. “Well, they always teased me about my eyes.” 

“Because they’re different colors?” She looked at her blue and green irises. “How rude! Kids can be so mean.”

“They can be,” Yuna agreed. “But Lady was different. But you know? They called her something else on the island because she always scared off the bullies.” 

“What?”

“The little devil,” Yuna giggled. “She always got into fights and kept to herself..” she stopped and her joyful expression was replaced with a more somber one. “That was after her father passed.. I haven’t seen her smile in the longest. I’m glad she can smile again now though.”

“You really care about her, huh?” 

A blush crossed Yuna’s face. “I always looked up to her. All I wanted was to be by her side.”

“Aw!” Aerith hugged her arm suddenly. “That’s so cute of you! I bet you’ll be real happy when you see her again, huh?” 

They soon arrived at the bar and walked inside to see Cloud and Zack sitting at the table, looking better than they did last night. 

“Heya guys! Glad to see you’re up and at ‘em!” Aerith patted them both on the back and they groaned at the contact. 

“I feel better yeah,” Cloud muttered. “But please.. not so loud.”

“Ahh, it sucks being shot,” moaned Zack as he leaned back in his chair. 

Once Tifa saw Yuna, she handed her a card. “This was left here before I came in, it was for you so I didn’t want to open it.” 

Yuna thanked her and took a seat at the bar as Aerith began helping Tifa wipe everything down. The others were there as well, relaxed and talking amongst each other. Angeal was helping Zack with his bandages and finally gave up when the younger man swatted him away; beside him were Genesis and Sephiroth who talked to each other about something Genesis read in a book. Vincent approached them, taking a seat and asking Cloud how he was doing while the blond waved his question away. Red had Marlene on his back and dozed peacefully while Barret and Cid looked over the gun attached to his arm, discussing what they could do to make it more ‘shooty’. Yuffie sat on the floor and rifled through her bag with what looked like a suspicious amount of materia that seemed to double in size from last week, but of course no one wanted to ask her how she came to have that collection. 

It was peaceful until Wedge barged in with a bewildered look. “Did you guys hear about the fire last night?”

Tifa stopped what she was doing. “Another one? Where?!”

“Uh-uh,” Wedge shook his head. “This one was way worse! Look, it’s on the news!” 

Tifa grabbed the remote and fumbled it to their news section: the Midgar Times. An overhead shot of Sector 5 appeared on the screen and everyone thought it was odd at first. It was rare for the Midgar Times to report on anything in the slums, they didn’t care much unless it was topside- but this was an exception. 

In the frame was what appeared to be a large warehouse that was almost completely burnt down, its scrap walls were still red from heat with smoke rising in heavy pillars from the remains. People were still dousing it with water from hoses and it zoomed in closer to the scene, making Tifa cover her mouth in shock. 

Lying in the ashes were the figures of twenty two people. Burnt to a crisp

Aerith looked over to her and turned up the volume on the t.v. for everyone to hear as Barret picked up Marlene into his lap and covered her ears and eyes. 

_ “...Twenty-two bodies were discovered in a warehouse last night. Their identities have yet to be discovered but found them to be wearing similar clothing, suggesting an organization of sort.” _

“Hey..” Zack squinted at the displayed clothing and even through the charred remains, he noticed a similarity. “Looks like the robes from the guy we chased down yesterday, right Cloud?”

“Don’t remind me..” Cloud groaned. 

_ “The resulting smoke rose as far as the upper plate and left many astounded. Police are doing their best to have this mystery resolved as soon as possible and find the ones responsible-” _

Aerith turned it off. Mortified that it happened so close to the town she lived in, but her and Yuna slept through that violent massacre soundly. 

“At least we don’t have to worry about that robed guy anymore if he was in that group,” Zack said. 

“There were a lot of them,” Vincent muttered. “Right under our noses.”

“Well, hopefully that’s all of ‘em, right?” Yuffie said loudly. “Still, wonder who coulda left them like that. Kinda scary..”

Red looked around the bar and sniffed the air. “Where’s Lady?”

Yuna looked to the note in her hands and opened it up, cupping it gently. In hastily written words, it read: ‘Sorry Yuna, had to go. I’ll come back. I promise.’

*******

Lady squinted her eyes when she saw the sun rising high over Leide. Bringing her arm up to block out the rays, she winced and immediately brought it back down. Using her other arm, she felt at her back and winced harder when she pressed down on the skin below her shoulder blade. She didn’t have time to properly dress her wound last night and spent the whole morning flying here- no doubt her wings put unneeded stress on it. 

She definitely needed to avoid using them as much as possible. 

A gasp caught her attention and she looked over to see Cindy emerge from the garage with a fresh coat of soot covering the bridge of her button nose. “Sweet pea!!” she broke into a sprint and Lady instinctively held her arms out to catch her as she ran into them. When Cindy jumped up into her arms, she let out a slight groan as the weight made her wound strain. Hearing this, the mechanic immediately hopped down. “Sorry, sugar, you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Lady replied with a strained smile. “How you been?”

“Never mind me, how  _ you _ been? I ain’t seen you in years!” The blonde flashed her a beautiful smile and Lady returned the gesture. 

“Uh you know, been around here and there,” she replied.  _ Been dead and gone till a god propped me back up _ . “Nothing much happened with me, what about you? Still charming folks with that smile of yours?”

“Oh stop it,” she pushed her away playfully. “You always say the darndest things.”

“Only for you,” Lady winked and turned her head away as Cindy had a light flush of pink on her face. “You, uh, seen the guys around? I was supposed to meet them here.” 

“The prince? No, not yet.” She walked in front of her with her hands behind her back, she turned her head and flashed her another smile. “Wanna come hang out with me while you wait? Or maybe you can wait inside the diner, they got air conditioning.”

Lady gasped and placed a hand over her chest, mocking offense. “And miss spending time with the most beautiful mechanic in all of Leide? Never.” 

“Well come on then!” Cindy grabbed her by the arm, thankfully not the injured one, and pulled her close. “Hey, you know you coulda sent a letter or something. Even give me a call.”

“Sorry,” she laughed nervously.  _ I couldn’t. On the account of being dead. _ “I don’t think I even have your cell. Last time I called using the Hammerhead number.”

“Hm, I might give it to you if you ask nicely,” said Cindy. 

Lady laughed. “Oh, you want me to ask? When you’re the one who wants me to call? Do you always play this hard to get?” 

“Only for you,” Cindy threw her compliment right back at her and it made Lady smile wider. 

“So what do you need help with this time?” She asked and Cindy pointed at a car with a noticeable flat. “Well. I lost my carjack.”

“Again?” This happened before, when she first came to Hammerhead and she served as Cindy’s makeshift carjack before too. “You gonna pay me this time?” 

“What do you want in return, sugar?” A sly smile appeared on the mechanic’s face. 

“I’ll think about it and let you know,” Lady said as she slipped out of her grip and went towards the car. Gripping the side as she squatted down, she lifted up with a grunt and raised it just enough so that Cindy could change the flat. The wound on her shoulder seemed to open back up as she felt the dried blood crack under the strain; she did her best to hide the pained look on her face and even knowing that Cindy was fast at changing tires, she felt like ages were going by. 

“There we go,” Cindy popped in the last lug nut with a satisfied smile. “You can let go now!” Looking up at her, a concerned look crossed on her face as a black car pulled into Hammerhead. “Hey, you doin’ okay?”

“I’m fine,” Lady huffed and went over to the black car as four familiar figures stepped out of it. Putting on her best smile, she waved to them as they quickly approached her. 

“Long time no see!” Gladio picked her up off her feet and squeezed her tight. She had to bite down on her lip just to avoid letting out a pained groan. 

“Hey to you too,” she gave him a tight-lipped smile when he set her back down. 

“What’s up, goblin?” Noctis had his hand positioned awkwardly over his hip, not knowing how else to greet her but by the old moniker he gave her. 

“Gods, awkward as ever,” Lady pulled him in for a hug and at first he tensed under her touch but relaxed and returned the gesture in a much tighter fashion than she did which made her wince. Stepping back, Prompto jumped in between them and wrapped his arms around her shoulders and squeezed hard. She bit back a curse word when he smiled ear-to-ear, making his dimples and freckles stand out against his pale face. “Good to see you too, sunshine.”

Then, it was Ignis’ turn and between the two, a simple handshake would suffice. Though his face remained stoic, she could see a smile tugging on the corner of his lips. “It’s good to have you back,” he said in that ever suave voice and it made her laugh. 

“It feels good to be back,” she said. 

“We ready for another adventure?” Gladio said as he clapped her on the shoulder, sending it forward at the force of it and making her bite down on her lip harder- breaking the skin there from where she cut it last night. “Woah, the hell,” he muttered when he looked at his hand as bright red stained the bottom area of his palm. “Is that.. blood?”

“Uhh..”

“Oh my gods, sugar, you’re bleedin’!” Cindy exclaimed and Lady swiftly turned around to hide her shoulder from view. 

“Whatcha talking about?”

“You’ve a wound on your back,” Ignis noted now that her back was turned to him. “We need to have that looked at.”

“I’m fine,” she turned her back from him. “I’m serious. It’ll heal up in a couple hours.”

“Where’d you get it from?” Prompto looked at the red blossoming on her shirt with a worried face.

“Bar fight,” she said, turning to him. There was no point in it though, they all had her surrounded and either direction she turned to- they would see her wounds. 

“Doesn’t look like any bar fight wounds I’ve seen,” Gladio narrowed his eyes. “You get that cut lip from it too?”

Lady raised fingers to her lip and looked down at the fresh coat that dripped from it and smacked her lips in annoyance. “Just a scratch, I’ll be fine.”

“No way,” Cindy said with a stern voice and hand on her hip. “I ain’t letting you leave till I patch that up for you.” 

Through a strained smile, Lady chuckled in a high-strung pitch. “Well we have urgent business, so we’re just gonna have to go-”

“If you don’t let me fix you up, I ain’t touching the Regalia again. Not even for a tune up!” 

“Best have the mechanic take a look at you,” Ignis whispered to her and she closed her eyes and groaned. 

“Fine.”

*******

“We’re both girls, you shouldn’t be embarrassed, sugar,” Cindy set aside some bandages after taking her gloves off. 

“I’m not embarrassed,” Lady rolled her shirt up over her head and left only her bra underneath. “You just don’t need to do this. I can take care of it myself.”

Walking over to her, Cindy made her sit on the bed with an expectant look and she sighed; doing as she was told, she leaned forward on her knees as the blonde situated herself right behind. “I know you can,” she told her as she began wiping down the wound with an alcohol wipe. “You just need to let others take care of you sometimes, y’know?”

“I’m told that a lot,” she muttered, closing her eyes as Cindy wiped off some crusted clumps of blood. “You know how to suture properly?”

“Can’t be too difficult, right?” When Lady threw her a nervous glance over her shoulder, Cindy laughed. “I’m only joking. Some of the boys come through here with some nasty bites from the local critters, so ‘course I know how to do some basic stitching.” Feeling the familiar prod of a needle at her skin, Lady braced herself for when it pierced through and to the other side. “This looks nasty, was it really from a bar fight?”

Lady smiled to herself. “Mhm. I’m used to it,” she said, then put air quotes up with a hand. “I’m a ‘soldier’, remember?”

“Doesn’t matter what you are,” Cindy murmured. “You need to take better care of yourself.”

“....Thanks Cindy,” she whispered and the mechanic placed an adhesive bandage on her back. 

“I’m here for you anytime, you know that?” She whispered back and nervously reached forward to place her hand on her shoulder, feeling the bare skin under her fingers. “You don’t always have to do things alone.” Her green eyes combed over the other woman’s fists and saw how the skin over the knuckles were broken and red. She wanted to wrap those up for her too. 

Cindy tensed when Lady reached up to touch her hand, fingers resting on hers shamelessly but after a while she soon relaxed- letting them linger and dared to intertwine even after Lady stood up but her hand soon slipped. Flexing her arms over her head, Cindy could see the toned muscles that came from years of fighting and from the light casted by her lamp, she saw the shadow of wings stretch out from the soldier’s back. 

*******

“Think they’re done yet? It’s been a while,” Gladio hummed, rapping his knuckles against the table to the beat of a song they were listening to before they arrived. 

“Forty minutes does seem like an unreasonable amount of time for a wound like that,” Ignis agreed. 

“Maybe she had other ones we didn’t see?” Prompto offered. “It’s just like her to hide them from us.”

“Mhm,” Noctis nodded his head. “Wish she wouldn’t do that.” The rest of the group fell silent in agreement. Leaning his head against the window of the diner, Noctis suddenly jumped when he heard loud knocking that disturbed his attempt at taking another nap. His deep, sapphire eyes glanced up at Lady whose laugh was muffled by the glass. Waving at them, she motioned for them to come outside and they all slid out of the booth. 

Once outside she greeted them with the Regalia already parked beside her and ready to go. “C’mon,” Lady opened the door to the back seats. “I’m guessing I’m sitting in the middle again?”

“You could always sit on my lap,” Gladio offered and she nudged him with an elbow. 

“You sure that’s where you were really thinking of me sitting?” She winked and he squeezed her arm in response. Noctis slid in first and she followed with Gladio right behind. Prompto took shotgun but stopped, and glanced up at Ignis with puppy-dog eyes. 

“Can I drive?” He begged and Ignis closed his eyes at hearing this for he had a sneaking feeling that he would want to. Prompto tossed a quick glance to Lady and back to him, “C’mon, mama Iggy, pleaaaseeeee?”

His lips tightened into a thin line and looked to Gladio who shrugged. “It’s Leide,” the Shield said. “Not much in the roads to crash into out here.”

“Fine,” Ignis closed his door as him and Prompto switched places. Sliding into the driver’s seat, Prompto checked everything- the mirror, the seat adjustment, and checked if he could reach the floor with ease. Before they left Hammerhead, Ignis cleared his throat loudly. “Prompto. Seatbelt.”

“Ah, r-right,” the blond slipped the seatbelt on, the most vital of safety precautions when driving. 

Lady leaned into whisper to Noctis. “Does he drive a lot?” to which the prince responded with a subtle shake of his head, so subtle that his best friend couldn’t see it in the rearview. “Fantastic,” she uttered with utter sarcasm. The last time Prompto drove all of them, it ended pretty badly, but she chose to have faith. 

“Alright, off we go!” Prompto pulled the gear to drive and they rolled off into the road leading west. 

Lady crossed her arms and legs, tucking her chin into her chest as she closed her eyes. She hadn’t slept all day, she wanted to use this moment to catch a few winks. Gladio saw this and leaned in close to her, “You can use my shoulder.”

“Mph, really?” She said, sleep taking hold of her. She saw him nod and her head fell onto his shoulder and as soon as she did- she knocked out. 

“Out cold,” Gladio tried not to laugh. 

“Smooth,” Noctis muttered with a roll of his eyes. 

Prompto glared at him via the rearview and Gladio raised his eyebrows at him expectantly. “If you’re thinking ‘bout brake checking us, don’t. You’ll piss her off more.”

Letting out a sigh, Ignis snapped his fingers to get his attention and pointed in front of him. “Eyes forward.”

**…**

**…**

**…**

Lady woke with a jolt when her body was sent forward and her stomach collided with the center console. Frowning, she blinked and looked up to see Ignis covering his eyes as he was shaking his head while Gladio was absolutely fuming beside her. 

“Uh-oh,” came Prompto’s high pitched squeak. 

“What do you mean ‘uh-oh’?” Was Gladio’s response.

“Did you fuck up my dad’s car?” Noctis leaned forward in his seat. 

“No! I didn’t do anything!” Prompto cried. 

Gladio frowned. “Right, so the car just automatically broke by itself?” 

“Guys,” Lady picked herself up and wiped her eyes. “What happened?”

“Prompto wrecked the car,” Gladio sounded bitter.

Stretching, Lady leaned over Noctis’ lap to see where they were. Surely they were near Duscae at least. Her jaw dropped when she saw the arid planes beaten down by the sun. They were still in Leide. 

“Oh my fucking gods,” she said then looked to Prompto who seemed more nervous at her disbelief. “How?! It couldn’t have been more than 20 minutes since we left!!”

“I don’t know!” He said it with such honesty that shel pinched the bridge of her nose from reacting hastily. Leaning over Noctis, she opened the door and crawled over his lap to see the damage outside. On the rear right of the Regalia, she could see their problem in the form of a flat tire. Frowning, she squatted down beside it. Their tires seemed fine before they departed, she even checked the pressure beforehand. 

“The fuck?” She said as she circled the car and tilted her head as the boys filed out of the vehicle. “We have to go back to Hammerhead,” she told them. Pulling out her phone, she dialed in two sets of numbers.

“Why can’t we just call Cindy?” Prompto asked and Lady waved her phone to him to show the lack of bars.

“I already tried calling Hammerhead,” she said. “And Cindy’s cell, no such luck.”

Prompto blinked. “Cindy gave you her personal cell number?”

“Yeah?” Lady angled herself against the car and made ready to turn it. “Don’t you guys have it?” Their silence was telling and she waved it away. “C’mon. Help me push.”

Gladio helped her turn the car as Ignis sat in the driver’s seat and turned the wheel so that the tires turned to where they wanted to go. Noctis and Prompto were on the opposite side at the rear pushing the car and soon they had it turned around. All four who were pushing then took up stations with Lady and Gladio pushing from the back with Noctis and Prompto on the sides with Ignis at the front still. 

“On three!” Gladio’s gruff voice barked at them. “One..two..three!” A collective grunt was heard as they all began pushing the Regalia though they all stopped when they heard something scraping loudly against the pavement. Her and Gladio shared a look. “Shit,” he muttered. “Was that the rim?”

Lady leaned over and nodded her confirmation. “Yup. Cindy’s gonna be pretty mad.”

“Well, looks like we have no other choice,” he said. 

“Hey!” Noctis looked back. “You guys pushing?”

“The sooner we get back to Hammerhead, the better!” Prompto panted. 

“This time I’ll drive,” Ignis said to him, casually looking from the driver’s seat. With group effort and a couple of complaints over how hot it was, Lady felt her back covered with sweat just as Gladio took off his shirt and threw it across his shoulder before continuing to push. 

“Shit,” Lady panted as she stood up and stepped off to the side of the road and pulled her shirt over her head and stuffed it in her back pocket, showing off her black Shinra sports bra- courtesy of the Turks. It was made with material that was highly breathable and even with Shinra’s logo stamped between her breasts- she was thankful for it. 

“Uh,” Noctis said something else then shook his head when he realized it didn’t come out verbally. “Why?”

“Because Gladio and I are putting in the most leg power,” she said to him, seeing how his eyes trained on the red logo. “Can we get a move on? Or are we too distracted?”

“No, no, I think we can push,” Noctis muttered and everyone began hauling ass.

It took the group about double the time to get them close to Hammerhead, an additional ten minutes because they insisted on taking a breather. From the large garage, Cindy stepped out after wiping her hands and seemed surprised at seeing them again. “What are y’all doing here?” She stepped over to Lady and saw how a fine layer of sweat covered her body. 

“I’m afraid we have a flat,” Ignis stepped out and gestured to the part of the Regalia that became faulty. 

Cindy walked over and gasped. “Oh my goodness, the rim!” 

“I know,” Lady said and rubbed the back of her neck. “We, uh, had to move it and the road scratched it up.” 

“Why didn’t y’all call me?” She said that but had her eyes trained on Lady only. 

“Had no signal.”

“Really?” The mechanic frowned. “That’s weird.”

“Well, we need a new rim and tire. Mind if you can fix it up for us? Possibly today?”

“Of course, but-” Cindy looked towards the garage. “I don’t have the parts for the Regalia. I’ll have to go to Lestallum and get them. Usually I have them delivered, but if I’m doing a rush order, might as well get ‘em myself.” 

“We were headed to Lestallum,” said Gladio. “Mind if we catch a ride? One of us can come pick up the Regalia when they do.”

Lady made a face. “Is it that urgent?” 

“Your mother told us how important it was,” Ignis said and her lips formed a tight line and she deigned to respond to that. Of course the details weren’t made clear to her. 

“Well.. Y’could, but,” Cindy hesitated. “My tow truck’s only got enough room for five.” They all looked at each other then at her. The Lucians already had a party of four, plus five now that Lady joined. 

“Can we sit on someone?” Lady asked and Cindy pointed to a yellow tow truck with the Hammerhead logo embossed in black on the side.  _ Shit _ . It was smaller than she imagined. What with how tall Ignis was and how buff Gladio was, it would be difficult to squeeze in between. And she was not in the mood to sit on someone’s lap for about an hour and a half ride. Rubbing her eyes, she looked at all of them. “I'll stay. You guys get the parts and escort Cindy back.”

“I can get the parts myself,” Cindy said firmly. 

“No,” Lady shook her head. “You’ve seen the news, monsters are getting stronger these days and aren’t afraid to hunt humans in the light anymore. The boys can take you.” She rolled her shoulders. “Besides, I need to rest.” 

“You sure you’re okay with this?” Noctis asked her.

She nodded. She wouldn’t be able to fly until the knife wound closed up completely, and if she focused a spell on it, it would heal faster. But she was too sleep deprived and just plain out mentally exhausted to even think of another contingency plan. “Go on ahead. I’ll meet you guys in Lestallum.” 

Cindy had a sad look on her face but gave up. “Well, alright. Let me grab my keys.” She ran to the garage in a half-jog while the Lucians and Lady huddled in. 

“You gonna be okay?” Prompto asked her. 

“I should be asking you guys that,” she smiled. “I’m sure it won’t take long. Don’t worry, we’ll see each other again.” 

“Can’t you fly there?” Noctis looked over to the bandage on her shoulder.

“Not right now,” she sniffed and rolled her arm again. “Stop worrying, it’ll be fine. Everything’s gonna work out, you’ll see.” Reaching forward, she flicked him on the forehead lightly as Cindy came back out. 

“Y’all ready?” She asked. 

“Yeah,” Gladio followed her to her tow and the rest came with. Lady watched them board the vehicle and drove up next to her. 

“We’ll be back soon,” the mechanic told her and Lady gave her a saluted wink, waving at them as the truck pulled off the driveway and towards the open road. 

When they were out of eyesight, she let out a defeated sigh.  _ What a shitty day, could it get any worse? _ Walking over to the gas station after she decided to treat herself to a drink, she stopped before reaching the door and turned around to quickly place her shirt back on. As the fabric slipped over her eyes, she saw the old-fashioned car that was pumping with gas in front; it had a single white stripe going up the hood and towards the back while its top was converted down to reveal cream-colored leather seats.  _ Whoever owns that must be a fan of the classics _ .  _ Nice _ . 

Walking in, she quickly nodded at the cashier before going over to the fridge and quickly picking up a bottle of water. Before she closed it however, she decided to grab a can of Ebony just to see what all the hype was about. Backing away without looking, she then bumped into a solid mass that made the black can drop from her hand and roll onto the floor. Scrambling to pick it up, she stopped when a hand with fingerless gloves had already reached it for her. Swallowing, she rose slowly and came face-to-face with someone familiar. 

Golden eyes with deep amber flecks twinkled mischievously as deep magenta hair framed a rugged face and curled smile. 

“What are you doing here,” Lady growled and his smile grew wider. 

“Oh my, what a coincidence!” Ardyn seemed ecstatic and she resisted the urge to gut him in the store. “What a fine amount of sweat you’ve worked up, definitely a difference from the last time I saw you. A death due to hypothermia would’ve been embarrassing for you, no?”

She attempted to grab the can back from him but he held it with such a grip that he could’ve easily crushed the aluminum with another squeeze. To her surprise, he turned around and swiftly set her merchandise beside his on the counter; before the cashier could ring it up, Ardyn slid over his gil that was far too much for a couple cans of Ebony. Even the cashier’s eyes widened and he tried to hastily give him the difference, but the chancellor wouldn’t have any of that. “Keep the change,” he told the employee in such a tone that suggested he was the patron saint of the under-paid and overworked.

Lady followed him outside. He still had her water and coffee. She blinked when he saw that he stopped in front of the car she was admiring earlier with the white stripes on it. Immediately, she retracted anything positive she had to say about the car. Walking over to him, she glared. “You have my drinks, I believe.”

“Really now? But I didn’t see you pay for them,” he said as he placed the pump back onto the station. “So I do believe they’re mine.” Opening the driver’s seat, he tossed her an expectant look. “Unless you’re privy to take a drive with me, then I’d be open to giving you your drinks back.” 

“Nevermind,” she shook her head and turned around. “I’ll just get another one.” Hearing his engine start, she stopped and glanced back at him. No way this was a coincidence, the universe and all the powers that may be were never that lazy. The car started to ease its way out of the station and she hopped in front of it, colliding with the front bumper and glowered at him with seething eyes. “Where are you headed?” 

“Curious, are we?” He smiled. 

“Ardyn, where-”

“Lestallum, my dear. I do believe I have some business there..” his eyes turned darker. “Would you reconsider my offer?”

She did a sharp inhale. Lestallum was where the others were headed. There was no way he would-....  _ yes he would. _ Pushing herself up, her jaw formed a hard line. “So what, hop in there with you for a joy ride?”

“Either that, or you could walk,” Ardyn said. “Or fly, oh but wait.. your injury doesn’t allow that, hmm?” 

She gritted her teeth and balled up her fists.  _ Damn him _ .  _ Damn him for always seeming to be one step ahead _ . It wasn’t a good idea to let him drive to where they were, and she would certainly not want to be stuck here either. Taking a deep breath, she walked over to the passenger side- and got in. 

Easing his foot off the brakes, he drove out of Hammerhead and onto the road towards Lestallum. Without looking her way, he tutted his lips at her. “Put your seatbelt on, won’t you dearest?”


	20. XX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're homophobic at the slightest, I suggest you.. don't read?  
> If you're homosexual at the slightest, forge on.

Cindy had her eyes trained on the road, expertly scanning the horizon with bright green eyes as she hummed a small ditty that suspiciously went along to the chocobo tune that would always blast at Hammerhead- especially if a client that was fond of the giant birds would request it while she fixed up their vehicles. Next to her was Prompto and behind them was Ignis, Nocts, and Gladio in that order. The little prince was squished up in the middle with his legs tightly placed together and leaning more so on Ignis’ side as the tactician's legs were more lean and long than the shield’s. But that didn’t stop the little prince from glaring at both of them. 

“So, uh,” Prompto licked his lips that became miraculously dry and he thought it was due to the heat, but the water bottle in his hands was already half-empty. “How’s your day?” 

The mechanic gave him a strange look but smiled nonetheless. “It went well. Wish I could borrow your little soldier girl though, she’s useful ain’t she?”

“Oh! Yeah.. I guess she is..” the marksman laughed nervously. 

Gladio looked to his right at Noctis who gave a look to Ignis. They all thought the same thing: “Poor Prompto.”

“Is she..” Cindy’s fingers shifted on the steering wheel and tossed a quick glance to the boys. “Does she have a boyfriend? Or, er, a girlfriend?”

“Not that I know of?” Prompto looked to his friends for help. “Maybe I can ask on the group chat?” Logging onto the app, he began typing.

-Prompto has entered the chat-

Prompto:  Hey guys!! Has Lady ever been in a relationship?

Prompto: Like boyfriend or girlfriend?

Genesis:  Why are you asking?

Prompto: Uhhh cuz someone asked…?

Lea:  Not that we know of lol 

Xion:  That’s a no. She would’ve told me! 

Reno: We were married. Does that count?

Lea: fuck no chief

Tidus: She never had a boyfriend tho

Lady:Who the fuck invited this stupid blond-haired blue-eyed jackass?

Prompto:  Me?

Roxas: Me?

Cloud:  Me?

Cloud:  Wait. Why am I here. 

-Cloud has left the chat-

Ventus:  Me?

Lady:NO. 

Tidus:  You never had a boyfriend. Just admit it lmaooo. You were always way too scary. 

Lady: No I am not and yes I have!!! Just one….

Tidus:  Uh huh..

Lady:  ... Lasted for a week. 

Xion: OMG what happened?!

Lady: He cheated on me.

Xion:  Should we destroy him?

Aerith:  Tifa and I will beat him up for you!

Lady:It’s ok, it’s not that big of a deal lol. 

Lea:  Why did he cheat?

Genesis:  Is he in Midgar

Roxas:  What’s his address

Lady:  Seriously? It’s not that interesting. 

Lady  : Ask yourself, why do men cheat?

Xion: Why do men do anything

Tifa: Lol 

Aerith  : Lol

Lady:  idkkk guess I wasn’t good enough for the guy or just ugly? Let’s leave it at that. 

Tidus: Lmaooo

Lady:  Eat a dick, Tidus. 

Tidus:  eAt a DiCk, tiDuS. 

-Lady has left the chat-

Prompto took a deep breath then answered Cindy. “Uh, I think she’s single still.”

“Hmm, alright,” she hummed then ceased all further questioning until they reached lands that were filled with rolling green hills and trees. They had finally reached Duscae. 

“Hope Lady’s okay,” Noctis muttered and they nodded in agreement. 

*******

“My dear, can you open up a can of Ebony for me? I’m terribly parched,” Ardyn had his hands firmly gripping the leather covered wheel of his car as they both went along the road at what Lady considered a snail’s pace. 

“Can’t you open it up yourself?” She grumbled. This man was perfectly capable of throwing weapons of large capacity at her. 

“But a responsible driver would keep his hands on both wheels at the same time!” He insisted. “Don’t be like that, can’t I get some gratitude for showing you to your friends that night?”

Biting her lip, she inwardly groaned. It was true. If he hadn’t taken her to the spot where Zack and Cloud were that night, it would’ve gotten pretty south pretty quickly for them. “Where is it?” She finally said and he smiled. 

“Over here,” he pointed with his eyes at the compartment on his door all the way at his side. 

She scoffed. “Can’t you at least hand me the can? Or is the chancellor that preoccupied with the road?”

“Just reach over,” he said with that usual droll to his voice. “I won’t bite.”

“Uh-huh,” she said as she unbuckled her seatbelt and watched him. “Just know if you try something, I won’t hesitate to give you a rebuttal.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you,” he smiled and she finally did his bidding. Crawling under his arm and over his lap with her chest brushing against his thighs as she reached for the cans that were on the side. Just as she was about to get back up, his elbow dug down and kept her on his lap as the car made a sharp turn to the right. Lady frowned but got back up to glare at him with the condensation covered cans in her hands. “Sorry about that,” he said with an earnest grin. “Had to turn, you see.”

The tab popped with a gratifying sound and Lady held it towards him. “Here.” When she still felt the can in her hand, she saw that he was humming to himself while fixating his eyes on the road still and, infuriatingly, had _both_ hands on the wheel still. “Here,” she repeated herself in hopes that he would hear her this time and take his requested drink. 

His next request was more outrageous than the last. “Do you mind pouring that into my mouth? It’s terribly irresponsible of me to not have-“

“-both hands on the wheel, I get it,” she grimaced. “Then take a break on the road and have your drink before it grows lukewarm.”

“Then I’ll have to make a u-turn to ensure I can procure a fresh one,” he smiled. “Nothing’s more terrible than a warm drink in a hot climate.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“You of all people should know that I absolutely would, my dear.”

“Speak plainly, why are you here?”

Ardyn’s eyes quickly held hers for a split second before returning to their original position. “I could say the same, but you should know. But you are right, let’s speak plainly.” He then relaxed in his seat and tilted his head to the window slightly but had both of his hands on the wheel still. “You’re there to strike a covenant with the Fulgarian and Archaean, correct?” 

Her silence told him all he needed to know. Not like she needed to say anything anyways, as with all encounters with this man- he already knew what was going to happen. A chessboard with the moves already set in stone in which he could plan around. Supposedly, this wisdom was gathered and stored from the past 2000 years this man was alive.

“Don’t be so surprised, I know you weren’t visiting Tenebrae for the lovely views. You were there for the Glacian,” he glanced down at the slightly blue-tinged sigil marking her sternum. “And you were successful.”

Lady’s grip remained relaxed, ready to grasp a sword at any time. “Do you intend to stop me?”

“Goodness no,” he chuckled. “By all means, strike away. We’ve a common enemy, you and I.”

“Really now..”

Ardyn looked into the rearview mirror that displayed the road leading back towards Lucis. “We do, my dear. The very same that’s brought you back to life.”

“So it’ll make it easier for you to be rid of him?” She spotted a man on the road standing next to a broken down car with a pillar of smoke coming from the hood. _That doesn’t_ _look promising._ If it were any other day, she would’ve stopped by to help, but this was not. “What would you do if I fail?”

“I’d still kill him,” he said with such casualty that her eyebrows raised slightly. “You just wouldn’t be there to see it. Trust me or not, you getting rid of the Astrals standing in my way provides me with an advantage. And besides..” he trailed off and she felt his eyes pierce her soul. “Who better to have as an ally when it comes to forging bonds with the divine? Surely not the little prince, nor his court of jesters?”

“How do I know I can trust you?”

Ardyn smiled. “You don’t.” 

*******

It didn’t take long to arrive at Lestallum. Even if the awkward silence in the air was enough to choke the Lucians on the way. Cindy pulled into her parking spot with ease and displayed her exceptional skill in reverse parking, there were no hesitations in her driving- as big as her car was. The five of them slipped out of the truck, jumping onto the ground with a light grunt as the mechanic walked over to inspect the local scenery. Lestallum was bustling with life per usual, its streets filled with the heady scents of spices and joyful conversations that were loud and hearty; narrow alleyways formed a maze around town and served as a way to separate the locals from the tourists on how well those individuals could navigate; small stands peddling trinkets and food were stationed everywhere, especially in front where the tourists would come with wide eyes to take in the scenery. It allowed the vendors to feed the hungry passerbys.. and take their money to provide income. 

“Well, I’ll go order the parts. Y’all hang around.” Cindy walked off before any of them could follow and Prompto slumped his shoulders. 

“It’s okay Prom,” Noctis offered him encouragement in the form of a pat on the back. 

“Yeah,” Gladio bumped him. “You can embarrass yourself when Lady gets here too.” 

“I hate you both,” Prompto grumbled to them. 

“Let’s go around town, never been here before,” Gladio pointed at the crowds to which Noctis looked nervously upon. “Y’all hungry?”

“Pfft, you sound like Cindy,” Prompto rolled his eyes and that earned another shove from the big guy. “But yes, I am _starving._ Thanks for asking.”

Ignis saw all the other cars taking up the spaces and saw one that was parked on the far end of the lot. It looked unassuming and rather old, whoever owned it surely loved the classics. It was painted red and had a single white stripe going over its exterior with cream-colored leather seats on the inside. Giving it no more thought, he continued walking with the rest of the party to explore new frontiers. 

Lestallum was filled with women, working women who were employed at the nearby plant that powered the entire town. Their energy was completely eco-friendly too, to boot. Gladio whistled lowly when he saw a group of women pass by with their work uniforms on, uniforms that allowed their bodies to acclimate to the hot temperatures of their job and so they were very, _very_ revealing. Suspender straps slid over their breasts with tank tops that were cut above the navel to reveal their stomachs, their safety jackets were tied around their waist and most had their hair cut short or in a bun to reveal their necks and back. 

“This is my kinda place,” Gladio mused and Prompto groaned. 

“You already got a lot of girls back home, can’t you chill here?!” The blond protested and the brunet shook his head. 

Ignoring him, Prompto saw poorly drawn graffiti on the walls and pointed, reading it aloud. “’2 hot 4 you’. Yeah.. It is hot here..”

“It’s because of the meteor,” Ignis replied. “Their energy is derived from it.” He gestured to the soaring spikes in the horizon that rose from the ground, even from where they stood they could see the heat leave the geological formations in waves of blue-tinged heat. 

“The one that Titan’s holding up, right?” Prompto asked. 

“Yup,” Gladio answered. “Been sleeping and holding that up for at least a couple hundred years.”

“Two-thousand if I can recall correctly,” Ignis pushed up his glasses and regretted the fact that he wore a mildly thick leather jacket, in black no less. 

Prompto thought of the giant meteor and shuddered. “I don’t want to see another meteor in my life.” The four of them were silent but they were all in agreement and continued on deeper into the town, not wanting to think of meteors any longer. 

Noctis stopped in his tracks when he spotted a brightly designed poster with beautiful graphics depicting a hero wielding a sword. “Guys,” he said with an excited smile. “Check it out, a new Final Kingdom game is coming out!” 

Gladio frowned. “You realize you’re the only one who cares about that game, right?” 

“Yeah,” Prompto agreed. “With the ending of that last one, who’d wanna support it still? It’s so confusing!”

“The lore isn’t confusing,” Noctis was irked. Slightly. “You guys just aren’t true fans.”

“I do believe I saw Lady playing that game on her phone once,” Ignis pointed out and at this Noctis’ disgruntled expression relaxed a bit. 

“Yeah, gotta show her this later for sure.”

“Speaking of which,” said Ignis. “Should we check up on her?”

“I think she’ll be fine,” Gladio motioned for them to follow. “You know her.”

*******

“Remind me why I’m walking with you?” Lady grimaced at Ardyn who merely looked content. She had half in mind to take off her shirt again and that feeling was aggravated more so when she looked at him. How could someone wear so many layers? _In this heat?_

“You’re helping me look for accomodations, remember?” He said to her. “And what was that other reason?”

She knitted her brows together in frustration. “Because you’re not someone I want to let out of my sight. Especially with my friends around.”

His smile almost stretched ear-to-ear. “Am I really deserving of all your antagonism?” He stepped closer. “Do you really think you could best me in battle again?”

She didn’t back down from his challenge and thrust her chin upwards. “I believe I can.”

“Must we fight?” His finger lifted her chin when her gaze dropped slightly. “Can’t we be friends?” At this distance, or lack of it, she could see his eyes clearly. In the sun they looked so warm and full of life but did no justice to properly illustrate the man she knew him for. Of the cruelty he was completely capable of. 

“You said it yourself,” she lowered her voice to a purr to mimic his tone that was always so damn seductive. “We’re something far more intimate than just friends, aren’t we?”

His eyes glinted with something mischievous. “Oh how I missed that biting tongue.” Her chin was lifted higher and she could count the individual lashes that rimmed his eyes. “Admit it, you don’t truly want to be rid of me.”

There was stubble on his chin and she wanted to slap herself for dropping her eyes down to his lips, because when she returned to his eyes, she knew that he saw her looking at his mouth. “And with the way you keep following me, I’m assuming you want me around too, hm?”

“You’re fascinating,” he admitted but in such a way that a scientist would make a nonchalant comment over a subject he was observing. “I’ve never seen someone fight their nature as much as you do, my dear.” 

“What do you know about that-” she stopped when she saw a group of four men dressed in black. “Shit,” she pulled Ardyn with her just as he turned his head to see what she saw. 

“Well well, should we say hi?” he said with a chuckle as she pushed him into a building and poked her head out the door. Thankfully they stopped with Prompto taking out his camera and motioning to the large worn statue of Kenny Crow that was perched on a bench. The blond was shoving Noctis onto the seat to which the latter was trying his best to resist. She let out a breath of relief. Hopefully they wouldn’t come this way. 

“While we’re here, I might as well try and get some rooms for us,” Ignis announced loudly enough for her to hear and she cursed inwardly. 

“Ma’am, are you here to buy a room?” That voice made her turn around to see the concierge look at her with a concerned expression. 

“Uhh..” Lady looked around her and finally noticed they were in a hotel. Due to the heat leaving her a bit out of it, she felt embarrassed at realizing it so late. When the concierge prompted that answer again, she bit her lip. That answer would completely depend if those four were coming her way. The last thing she needed was for them to see her with Ardyn; she wasn’t sure if they knew what he was, but now was not the time to find out. Poking her head out again, she saw Prompto finish up his pictures and then, to her horror, Ignis was walking her way. The hotel she was in was surrounded by other buildings and the only other exits were ones that passed by the Lucians, she wouldn’t be able to escape without being seen. 

Turning around, she quickly walked over to the counter and tossed the concierge some money. “Yeah, give me one of your rooms please.”

“The last ones we have left are the-”

“That’s fine, give me whatever you have. Please,” she urged him as Ardyn stood next to her with an amused look. 

The concierge slid over the key and took her money. Counting it, he nodded with satisfaction. “Let me give you your change-” 

“No need, keep it,” she said as she swiped the key off the counter and pulled Ardyn up the stairs with it in hand just as Ignis walked through the entrance and the concierge greeted him. Reading the label of the key, she was able to find the room and when she did, she jammed the key in and turned; pushing him inside first, she quickly closed the door behind her. Running over to the balcony, she carefully leaned over the iron railing. The room gave her a view to the fountain and bench where she saw the guys earlier and she could also see Noctis and the rest walk to the right to enter the hotel. Letting out a sigh, she went back inside the room and her eyes spotted the bed first. Sitting down, she bristled when Ardyn took a seat beside her. 

“How do you reckon you’ll escape from their sights?” He asked. 

“I reckon I’ll jump out the window,” she pointed to the balcony without looking up. 

“So you’ll be staying here?” 

“Take it, I’ll get another room… Consider it thanks for driving me here, I guess.”

“Why so eager to hide me from them?”

“Wouldn’t want to be branded a traitor.”

“Who betrayed who, I wonder?” 

They faced each other and she saw the darkness fill his eyes. There it was. That old hatred he harbored for Insomnia and everything Somnus has built up, including his family. She bit down on her lip before asking the next question she had in mind. “Do you still think of Aera?” She immediately regretted asking as his face stored more of that dark rage within his ruggedly handsome features. 

“The past is the past,” he answered, much to her surprise. “It doesn’t have significance in the present.”

For once, she felt sorry she brought up something that hurt him and so she averted her gaze. “Sorry,” she murmured. She thought it’d be fair to ask him a personal question since he always peered into her life more than she’d like, but still- she felt bad. Getting up, she walked to the door and as her hand wrapped around the knob, she felt a presence and a breath down her back that sent chills up her spine. 

“You think it wise to pry into what I am?” Came his voice, low and menacing.

“You dig up my past at your leisure,” she did her best to keep her voice steady. “I thought it was fair.” Turning around, she tried to keep her fear in check. It was silly to be scared of him, while in a hotel room in such a colorful and busy town. But she was. He was a force not to be trifled with. “Be it as you are,” she whispered. “You’re still just a man.”

To challenge her notion, the scleras of his eyes turned black as a vile yellow filled in his warm amber irises. Black liquid seeped from his mouth and eyes and at the angle he stood over her, some of said liquid dropped onto her cheek yet she tried to remain, unblinking. “Do you still think that?” His voice sounded slightly distorted but was predominantly his. 

Reaching forward with one hand while the other balled up into a fist tightly, she touched his cheek and held it there while staring deep into his eyes. “I do,” she murmured and watched as the black cleared into white in his scleras. “You are still a man, under all of this.”

“Careful,” his finger traced the underline of her lips. “Every man has desires. And if you so insist on my status of being then you should be more cautious rather than throwing yourself into a bedroom with one.” 

“What desires run through your head, I wonder?” She voiced her curiosity aloud and her gaze returned to his lips that spoke with the smoothness of thick honey. 

“Would you like to find out, my dear?” His other hand slipped down to find her waist and held her against the door. Leaning in, he whispered in her ear. “But I won’t take you by force, no… You’ll come to me on your own accord. Begging for me to take you.”

Her eyes traced his. “That’ll never happen.” 

He chuckled. “Don’t tempt fate or worse still- me.” Bringing her body closer to his, his lips grazed the love of her ear before whispering again. “And when it happens, I will _completely_ and _utterly-_ “ his hands gripped her roughly and made her gasp softly, “- _destroy you._ ”

A warmth started to pool through her upper thighs and she let out a shaky breath. Their lips were both partly opened and she saw that his eyes were looking down on hers as well before moving down to size her up, taking in every inch of her body and parts of her skin that was revealed. Daringingly, she grabbed onto the lapel of his coat and told herself that she did that to steady herself; convincing herself that by gripping onto him tightly, she could take back her grasp of reality as the heat and edge of lust began to ebb away at her mind. But it couldn’t have been lust, could it? Not for this man, surely?? 

His eyes darkened again, but this time with the same visceral feeling she had. The closer she got, the more wrought with sin she felt; this man once kidnapped her, tortured her, fought her and left her severely wounded, she should be running the opposite way as fast as possible. But a realization dawned on her, she was hanging onto him and bringing _herself_ closer. All Ardyn was doing was merely standing there, waiting like a lamp that drew the moth in. 

Shaking her head, she backed away and collided with the door in a light thump. Her chest was rising and falling as she felt the heat from her head travel down to her stomach and between her thighs. Swallowing, she saw his lips curl into a smile as she delivered him on his promise: _“You’ll come to me on your own accord. Begging for me to take you.”_

“I need to go,” she muttered incoherently and tried to erase the look of his smug satisfaction from her mind as she exited the room and left him there along with any lingering thoughts of what his lips might feel like on her skin. Or at least she tried to. 

*******

“970?! That’s way too much than what I usually pay,” Cindy frowned at the men gathered. “Where’s Lucy?”

“Lucy ain’t here right now,” one of them yawned as he stretched his legs lazily over the counter where her friend usually sat. “Took off for some R&R, what with all the work we’ve gotten since monsters been attackin’ more.” 

Cindy didn’t back down. “This ain’t right and y’all know it, I used to pay half that price when Lucy was still around.”

“Look,” the man in the seat put his legs down and leaned forward on the desk with his hands folded. “Like I said, do you see Lucy around? No, so I make the prices. Either pay ‘em or leave. But good luck finding them somewhere else. Can’t get these rims for at least another couple thousand miles.”

Cindy was frustrated. He was right. Parts like these were rare to come by outside of the Crown City and she usually would just try to buy them from the original manufacturers in Insomnia, but they would charge her thrice more than what she could get here due to its premium nature. 

The mechanic got up from his desk and sat on the other side, crossing his legs at the ankle. “Look sweetie, I’ll cut you a deal since you’re so pretty.” He eyed her hungrily, especially at the part where he saw the curve of her breasts come from her pink bikini. “400 and the parts are yours, but-” he walked over to her as the other workers watched on eagerly, “-you’ll have to do a little dance for us.” His hands went up to touch her cheek and she slapped it away immediately. 

“Don’t touch me,” she put on a fierce face and he laughed. “Y’all know this violates Lestallum’s Commerce Code no. 149, right? I can have y’all jobless in a moment when I contact HR.”

The mechanic laughed even more. “So what, put your friend Lucy outta the job?” 

“No,” Cindy smiled sweetly. “It’ll just put you and your dirty mitts in jail and you won’t ever manage to get a job within a couple hundred meters of Lestallum.” 

This agitated the man and he tossed one of his workers a glance and so they all stood up in a deformed circle around her. “Look little lady, we was gonna let you go,” he said as the person behind Cindy had a chain wrapped up in their hands, “but I don’t think we’ll do that now.”

She tried to remain calm and thought of everything in the room that she could use as a weapon. There was a heavy wrench on the desk behind him, if she could run past him, maybe she could-

A groan from behind her made her jump and quickly turn around to see a man collapsed in front of her with a tire rolling away from his body. From the sliding metal doors, came Lady who ducked underneath with a tire carried on her arm. She looked down to the man who was now unconscious on the floor and gave a low whistle. 

“He looks a little _tired_ , doesn’t he?” She grinned and held up the rubber wheel in her hands. “How much for this one?” 

“You knocked out Randy!” One of them exclaimed angrily and without hesitation, Lady flung the other tire at the one who just shouted and knocked him out as well. 

Walking over to Cindy, she grabbed her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, holding her away from the men as she held her fingers up in a snapping motion. “You guys want to see something cool?” She eyed the remaining four, including the head mechanic. 

“Why you..!” Another picked up a crowbar from behind him and Lady snapped loudly. Ice formed at their feet and traveled up their legs at rapid speeds, completely binding them to their spots and encasing their bodies in mildly hypothermic environments. 

Lady’s arm slipped off from Cindy’s and she approached the head mechanic. “What’s your name?”

At this point, his lips were already turning blue and his teeth chattered noisily. “M-m-marcu-s-s.” 

Grabbing him by the cheeks, he pointed his head towards Cindy. “I want you and your buddies to apologize to the beautiful lady, right now.” Marcus looked between her and the blonde and Lady tutted. “Should I provide you with some encouragement, gents?” On her fingertips were spikes of ice that curved into translucent claws. 

A chorus of loud apologies rose from the ones that were still conscious and were directed towards Cindy whose eyes were focused solely on the woman who entrapped the workers in ice. 

“Now, you’re going to let my friend take what she wants from here- for _free_ , understand?” She whispered into his ear and he nodded, eager to be free of his hellish prison. He was beginning to lose feeling in his leg. Lady whistled to Cindy and the mechanic nodded, quickly making her way to the back and picking out what she wanted. Sounds of boxes being torn open and metal hitting metal was heard and Cindy soon emerged with large packages wheeled out on a dolly. As she passed by the desk, she picked up the heavy wrench that was on it and added it to her pile. 

Lady glanced down at Marcus’ breast pocket and retrieved a fountain pen plated with gold and silver. “Oh, very shiny! This is mine now,” she pocketed it and backed away with her eyes remaining on the man. Cindy opened the garage and wheeled out her newly acquired items and Lady soon followed. 

“Wait!” Marcus yelled, struggling to move from his spot. “What about us?!”

“You’ll be free no worries,” Lady smiled at them. “When the cops arrive, at least.” With that, she slammed the garage door closed on them. As soon as they left the alleyway, Lady took over the Dolly as she fished out the pen and handed it to Cindy. “Here, this should help pay off some expenses for the car, right?”

“You stole this from that guy,” Cindy put a hand on her hip. 

“And he was going to steal from you,” she pointed out. “Tit for tat, that asshole had it coming.”

“You shouldn’t misbehave so much, darlin’.”

“What’s wrong with a little misbehaving now and then?” Winking at her, Lady wheeled the boxes out and they merged onto the main street. Cindy kept up with her as they walked towards her truck, watching as she lifted the boxes into the car with ease and finally faced her. 

“When did you get here?” Cindy finally asked. “I thought you were going to wait at Hammerhead?”

“Uh, I caught a ride with.. an old friend,” she chuckled nervously.

“But how did you find me?” 

“Well, I looked up any places that were selling car parts and that garage was the only one here.”

“Oh. Yeah, that’s smart.”

“What’s wrong? You seem disappointed I’m here.”

“No, no it’s not that at all!” The tip of Cindy’s boots tapped against the concrete. “I..”

“Well if you have everything you need,” Lady wiped her hands off on her shorts. “I’ll get one of the guys to escort you back-”

“No!” Cindy exclaimed, rather too loudly and quickly. She stepped in front of the other woman and hid her face under the cap of her hat. “I was, er, hopin’... you could escort me home?”

Lady nodded. “Sure thing, uhh.” She leaned over and tipped Cindy’s hat up and wiped her cheek, grazing over it slowly with a thumb. “You had a little something there… You doin’ okay? You’re really red.” Placing the back of her hand on her forehead, she tried feeling for her temperature. “You’re hot, or is it ‘cause of the weather here? Mind if I check your pulse?”

Cindy’s wide eyes gave the impression that she was scared but in fact it was quite the opposite. “Sure,” she murmured and felt Lady take her hand and begin to press her fingers on her wrist. “Wouldn’t it be better if you took it on the neck?” 

Lady raised an eyebrow. “Either the neck and arm is okay, but I already pinpointed your radial artery,” she chuckled to herself as she pressed her fingers firmly to her wrist. “You’ve got delicate hands for a mechanic.”’ 

“I could say the same about you,” Cindy breathed. “What with you bein’ a fighter.”

She grinned. “Fair point, your pulse is elevated, are you sure you’re okay?” Frowning, she closed in. “Your pupils are dilated..” 

“Oh, are they?”

“Look, Cindy,” she placed a hand on her shoulder. “Were you scared?” The mechanic swallowed and she looked deep into her eyes. “Just know that I’m here for you alright? You don’t have to fear anything while I’m here. Now come on, we should head out before it gets too dark. Want me to drive?”

“No, I can drive,” Cindy smiled as Lady’s hands slipped off of her. “C’mon. Let’s make tracks.”

The two girls slipped into the car; Cindy on the driver’s seat and Lady on the passenger’s. And this time she made sure to put her seatbelt on. When they were settled, the truck’s engine roared as it came to life before returning to a gentle purr as she drove up the ramp and towards the tunneled road leading out of Lestallum. 

Lady turned her head to admire the scenery that was the lush green forests of Duscae. “So, how’s your day going?”

“It’s going pretty good,” Cindy hummed. “Except for that messy bit back there, gonna have to tell my friend Lucy to find better employees.” 

“Hey, you could recommend me. I’m a pretty good worker.”

“Aw, but wouldn’t you want to work for me instead?”

“You’ll just use me as your personal tire jack!”

“What’s wrong with that? I’ll give you extra breaks!”

“You drive a hard bargain miss, throw in some milkshakes in there and I’ll consider being your personal jack for life.”

Cindy bit her lip to try and not smile too hard. “Strawberry or chocolate?”

“Whatever you like, what’s your favorite flavor?” Lady sat up. “No no, let me guess… strawberry? You look like a strawberry type of gal.”

“Yeah,” the blonde turned her head away to smile at her. “It is.” But it wasn’t, Cindy’s favorite flavor was vanilla. “How ‘bout we get one at the diner back in Hammerhead? Takka makes the best milkshakes.”

“Is this a bribe for me to come work for you?”

“I ain’t that mean of a boss! It’s my way of thanking you for today.” Cindy’s hands gripped the wheel and the leather of her gloves flexed and groaned when she did. “If it’s alright with you, I wanna ask you to come spend more time with me. Y’know.. as my personal assistant.”

Lady laughed. “Ah yes, spending my time with a beautiful woman. My favorite activity.” 

“..You really think that?” 

“Yeah, I think you’re one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever met, Miss Cindy Aurum.” She said it with such nonchalance that it caught the mechanic off guard. Turning her head to look at her, she saw Lady’s face bathed with the light of the setting sun. Orange and gold mixed with her skin and hair and her eyes seemed to glow when they passed by a patch of trees that cast a shadow on them. Lady rolled her head to smile at her and whistled at her with a finger playing with her bottom lip. “Hey missy, eyes on the road.”

For the rest of the ride, it was filled with laughter and more stories from both ladies. Cindy would eagerly listen to her passenger’s tales of adventure around the world and Lady would listen to her driver tell her of machines she found fascinating or bounties of huge monsters that she heard from the local hunters. Before they knew it, the green scenery changed to one with endless dried up plains of Leide and as Cindy pulled into Hammerhead, she wished she drove a bit slower. 

“I’ll get the boxes,” Lady hopped down from the truck and stacked the packages into one pile as she grabbed them one by one. “Where do you want them?” 

“Inside next to my tool box, the big red one!” Cindy called as she ran in for the keys to the Regalia. Following her instructions, she stacked them nice and neat beside the red tool box and waited for further instruction. The Regalia was almost silent as it drove into the garage and after all this time, Lady admired it for what a fine piece of machinery it really was. She could easily see why Cindy was so taken with it. Stepping out of the vehicle after taking the keys from the ignition, she sighed as she inspected the car more. “The rim’s so scratched up, it’s a shame to see it like this.” 

“What can I do?” 

“First start by helping me lift the car,” Cindy held up her tire jack with a triumphant smile. “Then help by taking off the rim and tire.” 

“Hm,” Lady squatted down and helped Cindy place the jack under the car to lift it up. Once she was done, to Cindy’s surprise, she began to take off the lug nut with her hands.

“Usually I’d use a tool for that,” Cindy said with a worried expression. 

“It’s cool,” she hummed. “I’m good with my fingers.” When the other woman fell silent, Lady looked over. “What’s wrong? Something I said?” 

In the mild dark of the garage, Cindy could see her mako eyes that began to glow ever so slightly. Radiating power and light, she felt drawn to them. Her grandpa always told her the wonders of the metal and tech city of Midgar and their production of soldiers. She wanted to see it one day. 

“No, it’s nothin’,” Cindy got up and went to fetch some tire shine while she worked on taking off the lug nuts. Assuming she would take a while, she climbed up a ladder and perused her shelves filled with things she used to improve the overall appearance of a vehicle. The ladder was moved slightly to the left and she stretched as far as she could while trying to maintain her balance to get her hands around the spray bottle of tire shine.

“Hey, I’m done. What else do you want me to do?” 

“Ah!” Cindy yelped as her voice came suddenly and she lost her footing, falling from the ladder. Though instead of falling on the floor, she found herself caught in a pair of arms and looked at Lady’s bemused face. 

“Careful,” the woman with glowing eyes smirked. “Don’t go falling for me.”

“I-” Cindy was at a loss for words and felt heat flush across her cheeks. “I was just-”

“I’m kidding,” Lady set her down. “Sorry I scared you.” Walking over to the Regalia, she beckoned her to follow and she did.

Now it was Cindy’s turn to do the work and she did so admirably. Quickly installing the new tire and rim with expert precision. It didn’t take long to finish it off with a little wax, shine, and love and soon they let the car down gently from the jack. Stepping back to admire their work, Cindy whistled. “I love this car. I never seen anything like it in my days.”

“Nothing beats a beautiful car for you, huh?” Lady smiled at her. 

“‘Course, I live for findin’ out what makes machines work,” she had a serene look on her face. “What about you? Anything you’re passionate about?” 

“Me? Well..” Lady tapped her foot on the ground while her face scrunched up as she thought. “Hang on, I’m just thinking of something that would impress you.” At this Cindy laughed and Lady smiled as she held up her hand in a closed fist. “I guess I enjoy swords and magic.” A silver sword appeared, taking up the space where it was once empty between her fingers. The blade reflected the moonlight that filtered from the outside and Cindy saw the metal shimmer with an opalescent hue. “Wanna hold it?”

“Alright,” Cindy tentatively grabbed it and held it. It was light and cool in her hand, holding it to the side she felt rather awkward as she’d never done this before. Lady held back a laugh as Cindy pouted. “Don’t judge me, I never picked up a sword before!” 

“Sorry, want me to show you?”

The mechanic nodded and Lady slipped behind her, guiding her sword arm upwards with her hand sliding down to reach her wrist. “Now for me,” she whispered close to her ear, “I personally keep my arm bent at the elbow only slightly even when I’m thrusting. As cliché as it sounds, treat it like an extension of yourself, the fine line between life and death between your opponent. And keep your legs apart slightly, I always keep my weight on my left..”

“Like this?” Cindy had her feet about three inches apart. 

“Yeah, but-” before her hands went down, she looked to Cindy for permission to continue and when she nodded, her hand pushed on her thigh and separated it from her other. “Farther apart like this, for balance and your abdomen, take a deep breath for me and hold it in.” As she did, Lady’s hand pushed flat against the blonde’s abdomen that was taut with bated breath. “Feel that tightness? It’s useful to do that just before you strike. Now exhale, it’s also important to remember to breathe during a fight.” She chuckled and Cindy felt something flutter in her chest. “It’s never a good thing for an opponent to leave you breathless.”

Lady dropped her hand after intertwining her fingers with hers just to take the sword. “And that’s the basics,” she said as the sword disappeared. “After that it’s more useful learning on the field. Theory before practice, etcetera etcetera..”

On her stomach, Cindy still felt her hands gliding over her and guiding her body. Tingles ran up her spine when her hands that she found surprisingly soft helped spread her legs, making Cindy look away to hide the growing blush on her face. “Say, how ‘bout some milkshakes?” She tried to start up a conversation. “Don’t I owe you one?”

“You sure do,” Lady said as she walked out of the garage. “Strawberry, right?”

Cindy grinned. “Strawberry.”

It was cool having a diner on site, even cooler still when Takka blended them up a fresh strawberry shake on the house. They slid into a booth, on opposite sides from each other, and shared the shake with two straws. Lady looked out of the window to see the moon high in the sky. “You think I can make it back to Lestallum?” 

“Ain’t it dangerous?” Cindy said with worry. 

“For others, sure,” she licked some of the whip cream off of her finger with the tip of her tongue. 

“I’m sure the daemons will stir up some trouble,” Cindy insisted. 

“For others,” she repeated with a smile. “Sure.”

“Well if you ain’t thinkin’ ‘bout yourself, think about the Regalia. It might get scratched up!”

Lady nodded solemnly. “You might be right. Don’t want to damage royal property.” Licking off the remnants of cream off the straw and off her lips, she set it back into the now empty glass. “You’re right, Takka makes one hella good shake.” Getting up, she stretched her arms above her head. “Can’t wait to take a shower after I rent out that mobile home..”

“Oh, you can stay with me!” Cindy offered and she looked back at her with surprise. 

“You sure?”

“It’ll be fine, I think you’ll be more comfortable showering at my place anyways.” Cindy grabbed the glass and handed it back to Takka over the counter before taking hold of her arm and pulling her outside. “C’mon!”

*******

**“How long do you think to repress me?”**

“...Get out of my head.”

**“I’m not in your head. I am you, fool.”**

“What are you doing?”

**“Waiting.”**

“For?”

**“For you to fall.”**

“You’ll never take me. You haven’t before and you won’t now.”

**“We shall see.”**

That dark voice made the dreamer wake up in a cold sweat and swing their legs over the bed to rush to the bathroom, turning the faucet on and let the water run. Splashing their face, they raised their eyes to glare at themselves in the dimly-lit mirror. All this person could see was the red of their irises. 

Vincent Valentine rarely had nightmares. When he slept, it was all a horizon of black. 

He massaged his sleepless eyes with his rough fingers and leaned against the metal sink. Chaos was running rampant in his mind and his voice was getting louder and louder still. It was living a waking nightmare with this _thing_ constantly violating every minute of his hours. He handled this before and was used to it for the most part. But something made Chaos come back with an even hungrier appetite than before. He ran a hand to his abdomen where he was wounded. Was it because of that Tsviet that shot him? Something in her bullet halted Chaos’ healing abilities, was there something that made it more restless as well?

Inhaling the air of the room, he pondered over his decisions. If Chaos broke free and ran rampant.. It would be trouble for everyone. His finger ran up until it reached his chest where a white bauble shone and reflected on the mirror and blotted out his face. As long as the protomateria was there, then there would be no worries of this dark entity breaking free. Taking that assurance in mind, Vincent returned to bed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've a thing for Cindy as you can tell.  
> And I want to thank everyone who's left encouraging comments through the series, it really helped me through my rut of pushing to get these chapters out. Seriously, your comment makes all the difference in my day because I was being increasingly doubtful over everything I've written thus far and just my literacy skill overall. Thank you again, and stay safe y'all.


	21. XXI

Xion wiggled her pen in her fingers as she flipped through the stacked papers, her phone let out a small beep and she stopped what she was doing immediately and got on it. She normally would’ve scolded herself for letting distractions interrupt her work but that single notification sound came from none other than the group chat, and the group chats were always fun to partake in. 

-Xion entered the chat-

Lady: Hey everyone, I wanna welcome Cindy to our group!! Be nice.

Cindy: Hey y’all! 

Lady: -attachment sent-

A selfie popped up of Lady and another gorgeous woman with short blonde hair appeared. They were sitting on the bed with their hair still messy and sticking up in places; they had on shorts and cropped shirts and had a sleepy smile on both their faces. Cindy had her arm wrapped around Lady’s and her head on her shoulder. 

Prompto: WAIT, you slept over?!!!!111

Lady: Yes, bc it was late. 

Prompto: :(

Lady: Don’t worry, I’ll drive the Regalia back soon. Gtg

-Lady has left the chat-

Xion looked at the picture as Naminé did the same. “Oh, she’s so pretty!” Naminé pointed at Cindy. “They look so cute together!” 

Kairi, who sat with them, nodded. “Your old landlady sure makes a lot of friends wherever she goes.”

Xion grinned, “She does. That’s one of her many talents.”

The door opened and Lea walked in with Xigbar by his side, Kairi turned around and waved her phone in the air. “Have you seen the new member of our group chat?”

“No?” Lea fished for his phone in his uniform and quickly unlocked it. “Hot damn..” he looked up at Xigbar. “I’d pay to see them kiss.” 

Xigbar took the phone from him and when he saw, he gave a low whistle. “Yeah, that’d be nice to see. I’d pay a premium.”

“You guys are disgusting,” Xion made a face. She didn’t know how she survived in the predominantly male cult that was Organization XIII, thankfully she had other girls to stay sane with now. Speaking of which… she saw the only other ex-member that was a female. “Oh no,” Xion said softly. 

Elrena marched through the door with a mug of steaming coffee in one hand, with her other, she held her phone. Scrolling with her thumb, her eye twitched when she saw the new picture. Then, with one hand, she crushed the cup as if it was paper. “Who the hell is this bimbo?” She snarled and showed them the picture. 

“Her name’s Cindy-” Xigbar started.

“I don’t give a damn what her name is!” Elrena flung the left-over ceramics at him which he skillfully dodged. “What’s she doing?!”

“They had a sleepover?” Lea frowned. “Ever heard of one?”

“I know what that is! What I’m asking is _why?!”_

“What the hell is your problem, you know how quick she is at making friends-”

“Shut. Up. Who the fuck is this blonde-haired, green-eyed little..”

“You have blonde hair and green eyes too, dumbass.”

A bright yellow thunderbolt appeared and struck Lea down. The redhead was sent flying back as Elrena angrily rushed out of the room. 

“Fuck!” Lea exclaimed and rubbed his jaw which was now numb with pain. “What is her problem?!”

Kairi sighed. “You mean you don’t know?”

“Know what?!”

The three girls at the table all giggled to themselves. “They really don’t have an idea, huh?” Xion laughed. 

*******

“Is this really the best way to contact you?” Cindy held up her phone. 

“Well that, and you always have my personal cell number too,” Lady had one foot in the Regalia while her arms hung off the door. “Besides, if you can’t reach me- asking my friends always helps. At least one of them always knows where I am.”

“Sounds good. You’ll show me around Midgar one day, right?” She said with a shy smile. 

“Midgar-” Lady hesitated. “It’s not very safe right now. I can show you around other places, there’s a place called Radiant Garden- that one’s really nice. I got a friend there- her name’s Elrena but I call her Elly.”

“Oh! Is she..”

“She’s my friend,” Lady grinned. “I think you’ll like her.”

“Alright,” Cindy seemed relieved. “But I really wanna see those mako reactors, I always wanted to see how they work.”

“Ok,” she tilted her head. “It’s a promise.”

“It’s a date,” Cindy corrected her with a wink. “Alrighty, well, take care of yourself, y’hear?” Cindy got closer. “Come back soon.”

“I will,” Lady stopped when she felt a hand touch her arm and looked to see Cindy get closer and left a kiss on her cheek. Her lips felt soft against her skin and she blinked when the mechanic stepped back. 

“I’ll-” Cindy blushed and pointed back at the garage with a thumb, “I’ll just-”

“Yeah, it was good seeing you,” Lady smiled. “Stay in touch.”

“I will for sure, you won’t get rid of me so easily this time,” the mechanic winked, walking backwards and turned on the heel of her white heeled boots to enter the garage. 

Lady let out a breath and touched the part where her lips just came into contact with it. It felt warm still, or maybe it was the horrendously hot weather. Giving the Regalia a gentle tap on the roof, she ducked her head in and situated herself in the seat; adjusting it so that she could put her foot on the brakes and gas easily. 

“Nice ride.” She jumped and looked to the passenger side to see Xigbar’s smiling face stare back at her. 

“Fuck me,” she groaned. 

“I could do that,” he purred. “Let’s rent that mobile home over there.”

She pushed him away with a laugh. “When did you get here?” 

“When you were talking to that sexy mechanic,” Xigbar mused. “Funnily enough, both of you didn’t notice me slip into the car. What’s up with that?”

“Sorry,” Lady started the ignition. “Not completely used to the sun just yet. It’s so bright out here, makes me feel dazed.” Pulling out of Hammerhead, she shouldn’t have been, but was still surprised at how smooth the Regalia drove; weighted but she could feel the tires glide over the pavement like a hot knife through butter. “So what are you doing here?”

Xigbar rolled down his window to feel the breeze between his fingers before rolling it back up when he felt dust aggravate them. “Xehanort’s making his move. We might need your help.”

She gripped the wheel of the car tightly. “You sure?”

“I’ve been tracking his movements for the last couple weeks, I’m pretty sure he’s mad about losing some of his allies to you. And if I know him, he’s gonna come back with a vengeance.”

“How do you even know the guy?” She’d been so caught up in her own problems with everything at Midgar, that’d she let that completely slip her mind. “Nevermind, that’s not important. I-” she sighed heavily and threw a hand up, “-I can’t right now. I have to do this thing with the guys and after that I have to go to Midgar again.” She massaged her temples with a hand. “I’m fucked on all ends.”

“So you got that Deepground business,” Xigbar held up his thumb from a closed fist. “You got that crazy dragon after your ass,” his index finger went up. “Then you got Xehanort,” he said as his middle finger came up. Counting all three with his other hand, he held it in front of her face to see. “Yeah, I’d say you’re rightly fucked.”

“Tell me about it,” she scoffed. “I’m stretched out thin, I can’t and don’t know how to prioritize these things.” After a moment and a tinge of guilt, she looked over. “Not that I’m saying I don’t want to help, I just..” she hesitated, then gave up. “I don’t know.”

“It’s cool, you’re busy. I get it,” he leaned back in his chair, looking down at the luxurious leather lining with barely visible stitching. “So about your whole ordeal right now, what are you doing?”

“My mom wants me to make a pact with the other Astrals,” she started slowly. “The idea is if I get them on my side other than Bahamut, that should give us an edge. But I don’t know why the hell she won’t do it herself since she wants it done so badly. Plus she’s done this before.” Her jaw hardened into a straight line and she gripped the wheel harder until her knuckles turned white. Thoughts of the bloodbath she left at that warehouse still clouded her mind. Those men accused her of things that didn’t make sense. 

_‘Half-breed’?_ She couldn’t shake the priest’s words from her thoughts. It was something she needed to ask her mother about, but she didn’t even know where she was right now. But she was stressed enough as it is with the current objectives, it was something that she would have to worry about later. 

Xigbar watched her face turn to one of confusion to anger to frustration, then finally, to melancholy. He’d seen her go through a lot, but none that left her internal conflict as visible as it was to him right now. 

“Lookie,” he waved a bag of lollipops in his hand. “Stole this from Lea earlier, want one?”

She glanced at it with an amused smirk and fished one out, tearing the wrapper off with her teeth and taking the lollipop in her mouth. “Is the only thing that Lea eats is sugar?”

“Probably. Him and those other three, all they do is eat sugar and talk on that damned clock tower when things get rough for them,” he unwrapped one for himself. “You should join them one day and- I dunno, talk about your feelings I guess.”

She laughed loudly. “No thanks, rather do a swan dive off that tower.” Artificial lemon flavoring covered her tongue, “My problems aren’t for everyone’s ears. Rather deal with them myself.”

His lollipop was red and she assumed it was cherry or raspberry. “You need to start relying on us. Especially if you wanna take down these bad guys effectively. Is that lemon?” He reached over and snatched her lollipop out of her mouth but quickly replaced hers with his before she could complain. She was surprised when she tasted sherbert. Definitely not what she expected. 

The lollipop in her mouth was still warm with his saliva coating it and she tasted him mildly before it was quickly replaced with her own. “How is everyone back home?”

“For starters, they miss you,” his tongue rolled over the lemon as her red candy stained her lips. “When you gonna come back?”

“When I can Xiggy,” she sighed. “When I can.” She looked over to him with a smile. “Trust me, no one wants this all to be over with more than me.” They passed Leide and were now entering Duscae. 

“You seem stressed out,” he hummed. “Want me to help you _de-stress_?” 

“I’m not into older men,” she laughed with a playful wink and waited for his comeback so that she could fire one back. But it didn’t come. Instead, she heard another voice; light and female. 

_“The Fulgarian’s presence is near, by revelation is the power of the Six manifest.”_

“Shiva,” she gasped softly and stomped on the brakes, sending Xigbar to collide with the dash as her hand shot up to cradle her head as a splitting headache was sent through it.

_“Destiny commands that the chosen receive it. Follow the eye into the storm and make the pact.”_

“Where’d you learn to drive..” Xigbar coughed and she leaned over the wheel to see the clouds darkening overhead; they rolled and rumbled and traveled westwards towards forested hills. She saw the road fork to the left and immediately jerked the wheel to follow it. “Where’re you going?”

“Following the storm,” she muttered as lightning struck overhead, streaking the dark with light before thunder roared loudly. 

“It was sunny just a couple minutes ago,” her passenger noted and the path ahead was shadowed with a tremendous cloud. Following the eye, she saw it stop overhead on a heavily forested area and smacked her lips in annoyance when there was no path leading upwards. She would have to continue the rest of the way on foot. Along the road, she spotted a rest stop and pulled in, parking on the side near the mobile home there. 

Getting out, Xigbar followed as she stepped out and looked up at the tall pines that constituted the majority of the hills where she saw the storm gather. She scratched her head, wondering if she could go at it alone. Turning back towards him, she gave him her best smile. “I gotta go. I’m being summoned.”

“By who?” 

She took his lollipop out of her mouth, replacing his with her now barren one that she just finished moments ago. Giving it a tentative lick, she winked at him again. “More like by what, come on old man. You should get going.”

“It’s the strangest thing that this storm came from nowhere, isn’t it?” A cheerful voice said aloud and she bristled. 

_No fucking way_. 

Both her and Xigbar turned to see Ardyn approach them with a black umbrella opened above him. “Good to see you again, my dear. Pleasant change of scenery from that dreary hotel room, isn’t it?” 

“You sure you’re not into older men?” Xigbar leaned over to whisper and earned a light hit from her elbow. “You seem a little overprepared, it hasn’t even started raining yet,” he said to Ardyn. Just as those words left his lips, rain began pelting down onto them and she was grateful that she had the roof up on the Regalia before she left. 

“What do you want?” She said to him as her clothes darkened from the rain hitting her. Ardyn offered her his umbrella, motioning for her to step into its protection with him and she glanced at Xigbar with a nod. “Head on inside,” she told him quietly. “I should speak to him in private.” Xigbar eyed the man carefully before doing what she instructed. Stepping forward, she found herself three inches away from his chest as his umbrella seemed unbearably small for two people. “Tell me, we’re alone now.”

“A man and a woman, sharing an umbrella in the rain,” he completely ignored her inquiry. “It’s almost romantic, isn’t it?” 

“Ardyn,” she said through gritted teeth. “Why are you here? In fact, why do you _always_ seem to be here?”

“You’ve an audience with the Stormsender, I simply wish to deliver you to him in a timely manner.”

“Oh and am I supposed to thank you for that? What makes you think I’ll trust you?”

He leaned forward with his other hand behind his back, coming closer until his lips barely brushed the lobe of her ear. “If I wanted you dead, I would’ve killed you when I found you comatose as a mute amnesiac in bed. But here you are.” She held her breath as he spoke. “Don’t believe me?” he chuckled. “It would’ve been child’s play for me to wrap my hand around your delicate neck and squeeze the life from you. But I didn’t.”

“You kept me alive, so you can use me for later.”

“Precisely,” he grinned. “How sweet you were when you let me caress your face that night, your eyes blankly searching for the truth.” His voice got even lower when he continued. “You even allowed my finger to run down your skin freely,” she felt his index glide down to her sternum. “Just like you’re doing now.”

She slapped his hand away and retreated, feeling rain assault her back. “You enjoying yourself?” 

“Quite so,” he nodded slowly. “The thing about being alive for so long.. one seeks _distractions_ and you, my dear, are a fine example of one.”

Thunder rumbled overhead and she winced, holding her head as a throbbing headache came to. _“Follow the eye into the storm.”_ Shaking her head, she glanced up at him. “So what, you wanted to take me to Ramuh?”

“If you want to skip around the forest yourself, then be my guest,” he motioned for her to take her leave. “But you’ll be there for quite a while, wasting your own time. You see, the forest has a way of keeping even the most experienced travellers lost. Can’t just have anyone arrive at the Fulgarian’s doorstep now, can we, kitten?”

She wanted to groan but declined to. Watching the storm, she squinted her eyes to try and pinpoint the eye but found there to be none- only large masses of dark clouds filled her view. Flying overhead would be a horrible idea, unless she was in the market for scorched wings and damaged pride. “Fine. Let me say goodbye to my friend.” Walking away from him, she covered her eyes as she tried to look for his figure inside the convenience store. But when she found no one that matched his profile, she glanced to the side and saw him standing under an awning that barely kept away the weather. He was talking on the phone and when he saw her, he said his goodbyes and pocketed his device. 

“Hey baby girl,” he pulled her out of the rain and gave her a tiny spin, sending some droplets onto him as he turned her away from the rain. “You’re all wet.”

“What are you doing out here?” She grinned up at him. 

“Too many people crowding inside,” he said. “And I was waiting for you,” he pointed at the mobile home that was strangely similar to the one back at Hammerhead, as if there was only one company distributing them. “My offer for helping you to relax is still up, or if you wanna do a quickie here-”

She stole a lollipop from his jacket pocket and stuffed it in hers. “Can’t, have business with the divine.” 

“Which one?”

“Which do you think?” she smiled as thunder clapped above them. “Gotta go, don’t wait up.” She leaned over to place a chaste kiss on his cheek. “And about Xehanort.. I dunno, ask my mom,” she said that in a completely joking manner, her mother helping them seemed astronomically out of bounds for her. “Seeya, old man.”

“Wait,” he grabbed her by the arm. “That dude over there.. That’s Ardyn, isn’t it? Chancellor of Niflheim? What’s ol’ Chancey doing here?”

“You’re asking the wrong person,” she grimaced. 

“You sure that’s a good idea?” he warned her. 

“It’s definitely not,” she said, “but if worst comes to worst. I expect you to send the whole cavalry after me.” Lady inserted the lollipop into her mouth while grinning cheekily at him. Moving it around her mouth, she made a face. “Ugh, sherbert again. Anyways, gotta mosey.”

“Seeya later, babe.” He waved at her as she approached Ardyn and together they set off into the woods across the road. Xigbar took a deep breath and reluctantly retreated back into the shadows. 

*******

“Normally you would find a set of three runes to commune with him,” Ardyn said as his umbrella ‘accidentally’ tipped to the side and spilled the rain onto her head. “But I assume we’re in a rush, so let’s cut to the chase.” 

Lady shot him a glare as she wiped back the strands of hair that stuck to her face. She shivered uncontrollably as she was wearing shorts and a shirt with a not-thick-enough jacket going over it. “You certainly didn’t come dressed appropriately,” he remarked. “That’s twice, you know.”

“I didn’t know there’d be a fucking downpour, alright?” she hissed. “Can we get a move on?” 

“Of course,” he smiled as he put away his umbrella when the heavy thickets of the trees began catching the rain. 

They soon found themselves in a cave and Lady immediately regretted stepping inside as the interior of the stone entrance felt like dipping into an ice bath. Along with her soaking wet figure, the cool ambience of the place made her teeth chatter uncontrollable as her body struggled to create friction to survive. Ardyn walked ahead of her unbothered, his footsteps finding their bearings on their own. She had to break into a half-jog to catch up to his brisk pace and when they reached a crossroads, he didn’t hesitate to go down the left path. “Been through this pilgrimage before?” She asked him after she forced her jaw to stop moving involuntarily. 

“No,” he answered without looking back at her. “Aera did.” 

This made her stop momentarily but continued on after a few seconds. She wanted to ask if he still thought about her, but that would be a bad idea. Who would want to reflect on their past lover in a situation like this? The last she’d seen of his fiancée was when she died in his arms, after taking a blow that was meant for him from his own brother. She didn’t think of it earlier, but now that she had her head on straight, she realized that Luna looked like the spitting image of Aera. And ultimately, she thought of how that would make him feel. She stopped again. Noctis looked a bit like Somnus too. _Was that why he hated him so much?_

“Watch your step,” he motioned to the gaping crevice below with only a thin wall with an equally thin foothold to cross this monstrous cavern. 

“You’re joking,” she said as she looked down at the stalagmites that rose up to greet her and the equally long jagged pieces of rock that came from the top of the cave. If she were to fall, that would be fine she supposed, but she would do so without grace as her wings would undoubtedly scrape against some of the formations. 

“If there were another way, I would’ve chose it,” he said with an almost bored tone. “But if you’re too much of a coward..”

_Asshole._ “Hurry it up then.”

They both hugged the wall, facing outwards and into the gaping void below as they inched slowly to the right. When he passed by a shifty looking piece, she held her breath when rocks tumbled down from where he stepped. She tossed him a scornful glare and tapped the area he had just crossed with a foot. After making sure it was secure, she reluctantly put her weight on it and immediately felt it give way. 

Rocks crumbled under her at an even more alarming pace than his and she felt her body slip from the safety of the small ledge onto the receiving stalagmites below- waiting to impale her. That is, until a hand grabbed hers and she looked up to see her savior with an amused smirk on his face. Single-handedly, he pulled her up and tossed her towards safety before he inched ever closer to the widened path all the while she caught her breath. Walking over to her, he extended his hand, “Coming?”

She frowned and pushed herself off the ground, rejecting his offer as she pushed on. There was only a linear path ahead so she assumed it was the right way. Wringing her wrist where he grabbed her, she shivered. He lifted her up so easily and flung her aside as if she was a rag doll. She knew he was strong.. but not that strong. Stopping, she squinted into the tunnels ahead and raised her hand as a ball of bright yellow flame hovered in her palm. It illuminated her shadow as a flickering object on the adjacent rocks and she saw Ardyn’s take place beside hers as a much larger shadow: imposing and tall. 

“This way,” he placed a hand on the small of her back and urged her on to follow the only path ahead. Even though she had a ball of flame resting on her, she still felt the heat that emanated off of him and she wished she could feel that heat everywhere. Simply because she was chilly, of course. As if he read her mind, he leaned forward, “Cold, darling?” 

“Freezing,” she admitted and he pulled her closer to him and towards his multiple layers of clothing. 

“Would you like to borrow a coat?” 

“I’d sooner set myself on fire,” she said as her teeth chattered. 

“Suit yourself,” he rescinded his touch and she once again felt cold. She also considered the idea of actually setting herself on fire just to feel warm.

The silence of this cave made her feel as if the shadows in the corners of her eyes were actual monsters. This led to another thought: how were there no daemons in this cave? Her answer was found when she looked at Ardyn, his face illuminated by the soft fire in her hand. _Because the daemons feared another._

“See anything you like?” He asked her when he saw her glance at him and she scoffed.

“Hardly,” she retorted and walked further ahead. In the darkness, she saw an outline of what appeared to be a white tree. It was illuminated softly with a halo of light surrounding it from an opening in the cave; as soon as she stepped near it; she felt a headache rip through her skull and she immediately staggered to the wall to support herself. An image of an old man with a long, curling beard appeared in her head. His forehead creased into his beady eyes that were akin to a ball of lightning in a storm and he held a gnarled staff that crackled every time he moved it. Instantly, she was drawn to the tree and the image of the old man in her head; approaching it slowly and carefully as her hand reached out to grab it, behind her, Ardyn watched the spectacle with mitigated interest.

When her hand touched the cold surface of the tree, she was surprised to find that it was made completely of petrified stone as opposed to the bark that she was expecting. It was rough under her fingers and she spotted a hole in the trunk which she should’ve thought twice about reaching in, but did so anyways. Her fingers grasped something soft and she pulled out a fluffy object- a moogle with a bright red pom-pom. 

“What..?” She frowned and turned the moogle over in her hand, seeing that it was nothing truly special. Looking up at the tree with confusion, she stopped when another headache hit her and she leaned against the tree to support herself. 

A memory of her mother and an old man cloaked under a hood appeared in her head. A small hand, presumably hers, reached out to him as a greeting and she watched as the old man took out a moogle doll and handed it to her. Lady watched as the doll in her hand disintegrated into light and ash and heard thunder roar loudly above her. From the small opening in the cave, she saw the sky light up and a bolt travel towards her. A bright flash of lightning was the last thing she saw.

*******

_A little girl ran through the trees, following the tracks made in the leaves that fell that autumn. She soon arrived at her house, old and grand, with sliding screen doors and fountains of water tapping against platforms of bamboo that echoed out through the courtyard. She expertly jumped across the boards that constituted their yard, careful not to land in the sand below that mimicked a pond with rippling waves around rocks that dotted the landscape. She stopped when she reached the veranda that encircled their house and lifted her feet carefully so that she wouldn’t make much noise against the polished wood. The girl only stopped when she reached a room with the sliding door partly open, and two hushed voices whispered inside._

_“...So we’ve agreed?” Her mother’s voice said softly._

_“Yes,” another voice said that was unrecognizable. She thought it sounded odd, with a heavy accent she couldn’t pinpoint but it was very, very foreign. He sounded old yet even when said in a whisper, his voice boomed and reminded her of thunder._

_The girl swallowed, knowing she was not supposed to be doing that but turned around and winced when the wood creaked loudly beneath her. She said a curse word in her head because she knew she wasn’t supposed to say it aloud and closed her eyes in waiting._

_“My flower, come in here,” came her mother’s calming voice and she did as she was told._

_Walking in, she did so awkwardly as she felt the old man’s eyes linger on her with great curiosity. She stole a glance up at him and jumped when she saw that his eyes seemed to glow unnaturally. ‘Glowing eyes are scary’, the child thought, ‘I don’t want those when I’m older.’_

_She immediately ran behind her mother’s kimono and inhaled the scented fabrics which immediately calmed her down. Burying her face in the silk, she felt her mother gently pry her hands from her kimono and held her in front with her hands secured on her shoulders. “Greet our guest, won’t you?” She said and the girl nodded._

_“Hello,” the girl said with a slight tremor to her voice as she bowed her head. Instead of greeting her back with their traditional way, he fetched something from the folds of his cloak. A stitched moogle doll. He held it forward for her to take and she looked up at her mom for approval first before she reached up to grab it. It was soft and pliant in her small hands, the bright red pom-pom made her squeeze it and she grinned wildly as she did. “Thank you,” she said with a more relaxed smile then looked to her mom to see what she would call their strange guest._

_Her mom said a name but she didn’t like the way it sounded so instead, she named this strange guest: ‘Muh-muh.’_

_That nickname was short for Ramuh._

*******

Lady woke suddenly and propped herself up on her elbows, buried into the soft earth below. She got up slowly, her muscles aching horribly as she coughed. Her jaws locked as her ears popped painfully and she rolled over to spit into the ground; red met the brown soul and she tasted burnt popcorn in her mouth, it was evidence that she was struck by a bolt of lightning- particularly a powerful one. She looked around and found herself to be completely alone in the cave, no Ardyn in sight.

The white, petrified tree stood before her and she cocked her head. _That’s it? No fire and brimstone? No searing words of how dangerous power can be?_ All in all, the revelation had been kind of disappointing. _Whatever, I’ll take what I can get._

Groaning, she sat up and looked at the opening above. It was still dark ahead and rain came through the hole, drenching her face thoroughly. “Muh-muh,” she mumbled and looked at her hand where she held the moogle doll. _How did I not piece it together back then?_ Taking a step back, she saw that the singular path turn into two and she scowled. “One way in, my ass.”

Taking the path that seemed more traveled, she was relieved to find no gaping crevices here nor thin ledges to balance herself on- just a gravely road that led her up. Veins of pure copper ran across the wall and she instinctively reached up to touch it, but that would soon prove to be a mistake.

As her fingers came close, purple lightning streaked through them and traveled down the copper vein before shooting back towards her and sending her flying back against the adjacent wall. 

The wind was knocked right out of her and she gasped for air as she slid down. Feeling the back of her head, she sighed when it felt tender to the touch and could feel a bruise blossoming on there. Sliding back up, she wrapped her hands under her jacket and continued on while being extremely careful not to touch the sides of the wall again. She soon smelled fresh air and saw natural light pour in at greater amounts, signs that she was coming back to the top soon. A shadow soon blocked her exit and she saw the silhouette of a young man with messy hair. 

“Noctis!” She cried and broke into a sprint towards him. Throwing her arms around him, she felt him do the same. “My gods, how did you find me? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he chuckled and held her closer. “You always keep running off, when are you gonna stay in one place?”

“Sorry,” she sighed and put her head down on his shoulder. She enjoyed this, just hugging him. She felt safe. “You didn’t answer my question, how’d you find me? Did Xiggy tell you?”

“It’s not hard to track you down, kitten,” he said and she bristled. Noctis never called her that. Only Ardyn and Xigbar did. And Xigbar couldn’t shapeshift. 

Letting her arms drop down, she backed away. “I should’ve known you wouldn’t just leave me after.” Noctis’ hair soon turned magenta in color and his dark blue eyes turned a deep gold. She scowled whenever she looked upon the face of the man who led her here and immediately reprimanded herself for falling for such a cheap trick. 

“Don’t look so sad, my dear,” Ardyn reached for her face but she slapped his hand away. “You seemed so happy to see the prince, won’t you greet me the same way?”

“Fuck off,” she growled and frowned deeper when Ardyn grabbed her wrist and brought her closer. A finger hooked around the collar of her shirt and brought it down to see the light yellow sigil that was freshly branded onto her skin, right above the icy blue one. 

“Well, that was easier than I thought,” he hummed. “Now you must be exhausted, right dear?”

“No,” she pushed him away. “I’m fine.” As she walked past him, thunder struck above and she held her head as she felt as if it struck her cranium instead. A hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her up against his chest. His other hand forced her to look at him and his eyes coldly stared at her. 

“You’ll expire if you continue on like this,” he chastised her. “Forging a covenant is no easy task on the body as it is the mind. Don’t be a fool.” 

She held her head and panted, wincing when the headache throbbed more. “What would you have me do?”

“Rest,” he said and she felt herself being lifted into his arms. A familiar feeling overcame her and she assumed this is what he did last time when she made a pact with Shiva.

He brought her to a small tent for two that was propped up underneath a circle of trees. Opening the flaps, he allowed her to step inside first before entering himself. Once situated, she saw a lamp and turned it on in hopes that it would provide some warmth. But of course it didn’t, and she was left shivering.

“I’d appreciate it if you stopped pretending to be my friends,” she muttered, wrapping her arms around herself. Static electricity shocked her fingers whenever they came into contact with her own skin and only aggravated her more. 

“You’re telling me you didn’t enjoy my performance as that simple barista from the countryside who made you swoon every so often?”

His words left a sour taste in her mouth and she stopped rocking back and forth, taking the time to glare at him. “I liked Eli, I really did. Not because he gave me free coffee or because he had a gorgeous smile-” she sniffed and turned her head down, “-but because he made me feel normal.” 

“Is normalcy that desirable for you?”

She chose her words carefully and found solace in the soft crackling of the lamp. “...Yes.” His eyes scrutinized her and she exhaled softly. “I’m only doing this so that no one else has to.”

“You won’t get gratitude,” he told her. “Nor statues or grand parades in your honor when all of this is done.” A sadness shone in his eyes before disappearing and she felt as if he spoke from experience. 

“I’m not doing this for thanks,” she brought the lamp closer. “I told you, I’m doing this so no one else has to.” Turning the dim electric device off, the tent became shrouded in shadows and she brought her knees in to huddle. Wrapping her arms around, she buried her head in them until she could only see the darkness that she created herself. There was a rustling of clothes that alerted her of his movements and she turned her head up too late as he was already in front of her. It was partly amusing to see this man on his knees in front of her, but only because the height of their shabby shackings forced him to be at that position- and yet despite this, he still managed to tower over her and make her feel small. 

“What are you looking for?” She asked him as she pulled in her legs to get on her knees, same as him. 

He grinned and reached forward to cup her face, and this time she didn’t pull away. “A distraction.” Pulling her towards him, she felt his lips crash onto hers and at first she wanted to pull away; but his lips became something akin to a sticky honey that she couldn’t get enough of. To him, she was nothing more than a fly that became trapped in a spider’s web. But what kind of prey flies to their predator willingly? 

Her tongue darted out and licked the seam of his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulled herself up. He pushed her down, his leg riding up to separate hers and stopped where her thighs branched off. Her fingers intertwined with his, holding her down onto the floor with such force that she could feel each vine, root, and pebble that was situated right under the thin tarp of their tent. His hands eventually loosened but found their way back onto her body as he gripped her waist and pulled her shirt up while she blindly fumbled to take off the ridiculous amount of coats he wore. Much like an onion, every time she took a layer off- there was another one waiting and she was getting frustrated, she wanted to feel his skin. 

Ardyn grinned to himself as he quickly deprived her of her denim shorts. “You seek normalcy,” he chuckled as her tongue ran up the side of his neck. “And yet you willingly feed yourself to danger.” He stopped her, their eyes locking as he pulled a dagger from the deepest recesses of his jacket that she had yet to take off. “Come, kitten,” he purred and slid the dagger up her shirt, feeling the sharpened edge undo the threads of her coverings and laid her bare before him. “Show me your claws.”

Wrapping her legs around his waist, she used his weight to pull him down and straddled him. He seemed a bit surprised at first with brows lifting a little but his delighted smirk returned to his face, even as she took the knife from him and dragged it up the remaining layers. Ripping them off, dark lust enraptured her when his own chest was laid bare; her hands ran down the pectorals to the abdomen- admiring the prominence that was hidden underneath that flamboyant outfit of his. He was muscular underneath, which should have come off as no surprise to her, seeing as how she tasted his strength earlier. Her eyes glowed with malicious intent when she saw that she dug the knife in deep enough to pierce skin; a red line that stood out against his olive complexion was brought to her attention and she saw the liquid drip from the edge of the dagger. Bringing it up to her lips, her tongue tentatively ran along it and tasted. 

_Iron._ Just like from any man she’d encountered. _Just like any man,_ she repeated to remind herself. 

Ardyn watched her with great interest as she watched the shallow wound quickly close up as if it were never there. Lady tutted. _Perhaps not like most men after all._ His wounds healed fast and would explain why his naked form remained immaculate. Discarding the dagger to the side, her lips made red with his blood, she leaned forward on his lap as he sat up to hold her by the waist. Their eyes locked again and he saw that her pupils were once again formed into slits; her nails ran down his back, leaving pink abrasions in their wake as he took her throat tightly, leaving her only enough room to gasp as his teeth grazed the soft flesh there and bit down. His hands went to her underwear and ripped them off, adding them to the discarded pile of clothes that were increasing at the side of the tent. 

Hunger overtook both of them, and it didn’t take long for her to feel his cock hardening underneath her. She felt as if this whole endeavor only added to their lust, when they were spelunking and even before she seeked the Fulgarian’s blessing- she felt a wanton warmth between her legs. _That’s right,_ she thought, _this whole thing must’ve been foreplay for him._ All of his innuendos: his lingering looks, the tug on his lips when he gave her a smile, the way his voice sounded in her ear when he whispered delicious things into them.. 

It made her think of what he promised- _no,_ threatened her with back at the hotel in Lestallum.

Running her fingers through his tousled hair, which she found soft and even scented slightly, she whispered in his ear and mimicked his low and seductive tone as best she could. “Go on then,” she said as she pressed her breasts onto his chest. “Destroy me.”

“You know not what you ask for, my dear.” A final warning before the dam broke free and all hell came loose.

“I’m not the asking type,” she growled into his ear. “And neither are you. You wanted me, and now you have me.” 

“Right on all accounts. Save one,” he smiled and patted down the back of her hair right before he flipped her over onto her back again. Running his thumb under her lip, he tutted his lips when she tried getting back up. “I’ve _always_ had you.” Directing his length at her entrance, he wasted no more time pushing in as her lips parted to let out a surprised gasp. He filled her up deliciously and felt his glans prod at the opening of her cervix with ease. Her insides squeezed around him tightly, feeling him up, and trying to adjust to his size; but before they could, he let himself out and thrusted hard. His strokes were tortuously long and only allowed her a second of pleasure, and not long after he would go faster and faster as his own control was loosening. 

Had it not been for the tent that separated them from the woodlands outside, they would’ve been nothing more than mere animals exercising their lust and attempts at showing who was the more dominant alpha. For a moment, they were not refined creatures with years of expertise; simply a man and a woman enjoying themselves and giving into their most base needs. 

Thunder tumbled overhead and covered her moans that bounced off the bark of the towering pines outside; his light groans were overshadowed by the snapping of tree branches just a distance away from them, victims of the brewing storm above. He held her up in his arms, her legs wrapped around him as he was propped on his knees, his arms moving her body up and down his dick as he worked up a lather of sweat. Every thrust made her feel as if she would break with the way her body shook after the tip reached her peak. Every time he grabbed at her flesh, leaving bruising grips at her most tender spots that left her breathless and she returned the favor by showing him the same courtesy. Her hand intertwined with his hair while the other felt at the muscles in his back, desperate to feel more and more of him. 

“Ardyn..!” she cried as he fucked her mercilessly and with no rest. “Ardyn-!”

“What I wouldn’t give to have the little prince hear what you’re saying now,” he chuckled darkly, leaving a kiss at the base of her neck before traveling up to her ear where he knew the tenor of his voice alone could undo her. “Would he enjoy watching, I wonder? Me, fucking you.”

Lady looked at him with mild fear in her eyes. “You wouldn’t..” Her mind was so muddled and only thought of the next time his length filled her and so coherent sentences didn’t seem to be her forté right now.

“I should have him bound and tied to a chair, forced to watch as I take your cunt,” he thumbed her clit and pressed on it hard. “You think he would enjoy the show?”

“Fucking animal,” she growled and immediately bit down on her lip as he pressed down on her clit harder, fighting off the instinct of having her eyes roll back as pressure built up inside of her. Her mouth hung slightly agape as he moved his dick inside of her, hitting her in all the right spots. He flipped her over, bringing her ass closer to his pelvis as he stopped thrusting. She looked back in surprise and saw how his messy curls were tossed about with some sticking to his face with sweat. Smirking down at her, he fondled her ass with another hand traveling up to cup her breasts and pulled her body against his. Panic set in as her build up to an orgasm was quickly dying down and she looked to him in an almost desperate way; sensing her urgency, he grinned but did not move. 

“I told you,” he whispered in her ear and thrust lightly, but not enough. “I’ll have you on your knees, _crawling to me_.” 

He moved again, infuriatingly slow. “No more will those boys you play with bring you the same pleasure as I do.”

His hands grasped her and squeezed and she wanted him to move so badly. “Every time you act to please yourself,” he thrust in again by an inch and brought her face up to his, “you will think of only me, my dear.” Their lips met and she brought a hand up to run through his hair as they did, her tongue was no longer shy to receive him and she felt him grab her hips and she prepared herself for him- but it never came. 

Soon she did feel his cock come in and out of her and she let out a grateful moan as his tongue ran up from her shoulder to her neck and left a biting mark there. Of course it didn’t take long until she noticed that he wasn’t the one moving, _she was._

A frustrated cry came from her throat and his chest rumbled with mocking laughter. “How bad do you want me, kitten?”

She couldn’t answer him, she flat out refused to. She couldn’t give him what he wanted; not her body, nor her power, but simply her submission. But when her orgasm ebbed away dangerously, she bit down on her lip and glanced back at him. “Ardyn,” she whimpered and his hand covered the front of her throat to feel every syllable that left her while the other held her hips. 

“You realize: there will be no coming back?” He murmured in her ear and she felt like a priestess being tempted by the devil himself. “Are you alright with this?” His finger poised in front of her clit and brushed against it. “Diving into sin with me?”

“Sin.. which ones?” she whispered, feeling his lips graze against the skin of her neck. 

“Oh, you’ve no idea,” he chuckled as the whites of his eyes turned black and his pupils became a daemonic yellow. “Now tell me what you want. And before you answer, would you do me the kindness of calling me.. _Your Majesty_.”

“You’re sick,” she chuckled ruefully and flinched when his fingers pinched her clit softly. Swallowing hard, she steeled herself before she spoke any further. “Please fuck me, _Your Majesty._ ”

Instantly, her wish was granted as his cock exited her and slammed back in so brutally that whatever orgasm she thought she was losing quickly came back to her in surging peaks. A pleasured scream ripped from her throat and she fell forward on her elbows as he took her from behind, her nails dug into the tarp as she arched her back to meet him easier. The sound of his thighs slapping against her ass mixed with the thunder above and she cried out as her promised orgasm shook her to her core. Turning her on her back, he pulled out as his cum sprayed onto her and mixed with the sweat on her body- marking her in creamy white. His finger traced around her navel and dipped into his own seed before pulling her up in his arm and bringing it to her lips. 

“It’s alright,” he coddled her. “Feel free to accept me whenever you please.” He have her the illusion of choice, but it was never going to be truly like that. Her mouth opened involuntarily and received his fingers; her tongue swirled around to taste his cum and he watched approvingly as she swallowed, cleaning them thoroughly. “You are such a lovely distraction, my dear lady.”

She blinked and felt his lips come onto hers as her hands wrapped around his neck, already becoming used to the shape. They shared a kiss that seemed like ages to her, but to him it was merely a second of time in the long life he lived. Yet they stayed like that, intertwined in each other’s arms, for however long the storm lasted. Through his soft whispers, gentle caresses, and firm touch, she had to remind herself who this man was and that she couldn’t afford to be captured by the predator, but just like that- the fly was becoming completely enthralled by the spider.


	22. XXII

_“Mom?”_

“Yes?”

_“I got Ramuh.”_

“I see. Good. Then that just leaves the Archean. Are you feeling alright?”

_“...Yeah.. Uh.”_

“...Is there something on your mind?”

_“I wanted to ask you something.”_

“What is it? You know you can ask me anything.”

_“...When I received his blessing, a memory came back to me when I was a kid.. mom, what was Ramuh doing at-“_

The receiver clicked and Onna looked down at the phone in her hand and saw that the call had ended. Cocking her head, she tried calling back but was immediately met with a dial tone. “Strange,” she murmured.

“What’s wrong?” Xigbar looked to her then saw her screen. “Ah, probably she lost signal or her phone died. No worries, she’ll call you back when she gets the chance.”

“I suppose,” she handed the phone back to him. “These new world nuances still get the best of me. I fear I’m a bit old fashioned.”

“Hey you know what they say, classics never go out of style,” he said, offering the woman some type of encouragement. 

She smiled, showing off her pearly whites that were bordered with a lush painting of red lacquer. “You’re kind. Now what is it we’re here for?”

“Just thought we could ask you a favor since you got your daughter chasing down some divine powers,” he held a hand out and helped her out of the corridor of darkness he conjured up. “Welcome to Radiant Garden, ma’am.”

*******

Lady cursed loudly when she saw her phone died. She left her charger back at the hotel and she needed to use the GPS map to search for the road back. The map posted on the wall near the store was nearly torn up and only showed winding lines that she assumed were the road; she would have to resort to older methods and ask for directions. Looking down at her phone one more time, she tapped on its dead screen unsuccessfully. 

“Wish I charged it fully before leaving,” she groaned and tapped her thumb harshly against the screen. Lightning then zapped from her fingers and into the device and she saw the screen light up at once, with the battery percentage at a full 100%. “Huh,” she looked at her fingers that were webbed with crackling electricity. “Nice.”

Looks like she didn’t have to ask for directions after all. 

Getting into the Regalia, she started the ignition and headed back towards Lestallum. 

*******

“So this.. Xehanort,” Onna observed the towering spires of this town’s castle and admired the stonework. This type of architecture was never seen in Spira, so she wanted to take the time to admire it. “Will he attack soon?”

“Yeah, we have a lot of people here, but just wanna be prepared y’know. That old man could easily overtake most of us,” Xigbar told her as he led her up the stairs. “Got most of your daughter’s friends here.”

“And you said he’s hunted my daughter before? For what?”

He tossed her a weary glance before answering. “Her, uh, heart. Power. Whatever it is he wants his hands on.”

Onna’s smile tightened. “Oh? And what does he intend to do with it?”

“Nothing good, that’s for sure. Waaay back before, he tried using her powers to enslave a good number of the old Organization XIII. But y’see, the thing inside her didn’t let him so he tried extracting her heart from her instead. Of course it didn’t work out,” he led her down a series of corridors and flights of stairs, but even as he was slightly winded by the countless stairs they’ve climbed- he noticed she was having no trouble at all. And despite her wooden sandals, she made almost no noise at all. “He’s also not too happy with most of his team mates going over to our side, but who can blame them?”

She nodded accordingly. “I see, thank you.”

Xigbar stopped when he reached their meeting room and opened the door for her, gesturing for her to step inside first. Onna slid through the doors, her black kimono trailing after her as she laid eyes on the circular room that held her daughter’s allies. Well, a fraction of them anyways. 

“Huh, hey Lady!” Emyd waved and Xigbar held a hand to his head as he shook it. 

“It’s not her, idiot,” Xigbar shot back at the blond to which he stuck his tongue out in response to his insult. 

Roxas looked up at the mention of Lady’s name and saw Onna instead, he scrutinized her and saw Lady’s features in this woman. This was enough to make him stare just a little bit longer. Xion already knew this, but admired her nonetheless as she was still stunning to behold. Mostly everyone in the castle had seen her ever so briefly before, the only ones in the room who haven’t, was Terra, who found himself ogling her before forcing himself to look away. 

Xigbar pulled out a seat for her in which she took a seat, maintaining her stick-straight posture as he rounded the table to the front. “Well, we know what we came here for. The old man’s got us on the defensive.”

“You sure about that?” Riku frowned. “We’ve got a lot of people here ready to fight.”

“Quality over quantity, kid,” Xigbar shot back then got back to debriefing everyone. 

Onna counted the people in the room and folded her hands on top of the other when she realized there were far too many witnesses. The chances of being seen were exponentially raised and she couldn’t have that. 

As Ienzo warned them of the dangers of engaging into one-on-one combat, Xion noticed how Onna never slouched or slumped in her chair, her back was always perfectly straight and she watched with great patience even when petty arguments broke out between some of them. It seemed strange to her, but she pushed it to the back of her mind as more important things were present. 

*******

Terra broke into a half-jog just to catch up with Onna and resorted to calling her name just to get her to stop but the noises of the passing crowds rose over his own. They were across the town in front of the fountain court and Terra watched as she stopped in front of the walls of cascading water, stepping near to observe the soft ripples on the surface. “Ma’am, excuse me!” He panted. 

She stood upright and saw the Keyblade master walk over to her as he caught his breath. “Yes?” she asked with a raised brow. “Can I help you?”

“I-“ he doubled over to catch his breath. How did this woman move so fast? Especially since it seemed like her clothes were so thick with formality that he assumed it would make her movements slow and drawn out. “I’m a friend of your daughter’s..”

“Yes, I know,” she smiled playfully and waited patiently for him to straighten back up. She repeated her prior question. “May I help you with something?”

Terra put his hands at his side and he stood at attention, ensuring that he didn’t look like a bumbling idiot in front of her. “I was hoping… well, I was hoping you could tell me what your daughter likes?”

Onna grinned, finally seeing what this was about. “I must apologize, Master Terra. I’ve not known my daughter into her present years, only her earliest. You must know her better than I do now.” Turning away, he followed her which gave her pause. “Is there something on your mind?” She faced him with a gentle, practiced smile. “I can see something weighing heavy on your tongue.”

Terra’s shoulders sagged slightly. “I want to do something special for her, your daughter I mean. I hurt her.. when I wasn’t really myself. I just want to apologize, I guess.”

She regarded him silently and saw pure remorse in his blue eyes. “Well,” she tilted her head slightly, “she used to love dancing with her father when she was a little girl. Waltzing, I might add.”

“Waltzing?” He seemed alarmed at this. “Oh, alright..”

“Do you know how?” 

“Can’t say that I do. Not much use for dancing for a guy like me.”

“Ah well, that’s a shame. It’s quite fun.”

“Do you know how?”

“Social graces were a must for me.”

“Then could you teach me?”

Onna looked around the court, upon seeing it was empty except for them. “You want me to teach you?”

“If it’s not wasting your time, I would appreciate it,” Terra rubbed the back of his neck. “Ma’am.” His eyes glanced up and saw how her smile reminded him of Lady, gentle and loving and it made him miss her more. After she rescued him, she had gone the next day and if he wasn’t in an almost comatose state, he would’ve beaten himself up for not getting up to say bye to her. 

“The formalities aren’t necessary.”

“Sorry,” he seemed ashamed. “Is Madame Onna okay?”

She chuckled at his earnestness for maintaining a boundary of respect. “Well I’d say it’s on the same tier, but who am I to argue. Care to dance, Master Terra?”

“Oh, we’re doing it now?” Terra’s back straightened as she offered her hand. 

“No time like the present,” she said as his hand slipped in hers. “It is a gift after all.” He stood in front of her, awkwardly gripping her hand as if it was a bag which amused her greatly.

“Take my hand as if it were your dance partner, if you please,” she instructed him and he gripped her hand more properly this time but still loosely. “Would it help if you imagined you were holding my daughter’s hand?” At this, his hand relaxed into hers, tender yet firm. “Good, now take my waist.” 

He seemed even more alarmed but did so, gripping her by the curve of her waist. “Excellent,” she encouraged him. “Now, I’ll lead and you follow.” Taking a step forward, he took one back; hers was light and his ended up rather heavy-footed, much to her dismay. “Sway back and forth. With the music, go with the notes.” 

He seemed confused, only hearing the light dribble of water and far away chatter of the denizens. “There is no music.”

“Use your imagination, Master Terra. There won’t always be music.”

Taking a deep breath, he tried to turn the chatter into music notes and the water into a symphony but failed to do so as they remained just that- talk and water. Still, he tried his best to take the lead. 

“It’s important that you remember that dancing is very similar to battle,” she reminded him gently. “Keep your eyes on your target and move accordingly.” 

They swayed with more confidence, going back and forth with much more poise. 

“Very good,” she mused as they changed roles, still going back and forth. “Do you feel ready to move on from the basics?” 

“Uh, yeah.” He definitely wasn’t ready. “Like this?” He attempted to spin her. 

“Hm, that’s my foot.”

He winced and tried another maneuver he saw while he was exploring other worlds. Typically the ones that always contained grand balls with this type of dancing. 

“That’s my other foot.”

Terra sighed and let go of Onna, “I don’t know if I’m cut out for this.” 

“Nonsense, you were doing spectacular,” she said and he gave her an incredulous look. “Well, apart from stepping on me- you have the underlying skills to be a great dancer. All you need is practice.”

He nodded and resumed his stiff posture with his hands on his side. “Can I dance with you another time?”

“It’d be a pleasure,” she smiled and he turned to leave, but not before she called him. “Oh, and do you always move your eyes from the target constantly in a fight?” 

“No,” he admitted. “Why?”

She grinned. “You didn’t look at me the entire time. Didn’t I tell you dancing and fighting were almost the same thing?”

Terra felt heat rush to his cheeks and vowed to get better at waltzing. “Let me walk you back to the castle, it’s not safe by yourself.”

“I can take care of myself, I assure you.”

He shook his head. “You don’t understand, the enemies we face can take your heart- your soul. It’s bad if you’re out here without anything to defend yourself with.”

“My soul?” Onna repeated, smiling at that last bit then laughed gently. “Well, if you insist.” 

They walked side-by-side, backtracking to the castle and stopped when they saw figures near the gates. An older man that stood next to the other three that were shorter than him: a young woman with short blue hair, a young man with spiked blond hair, and another with spiky black hair that looked like it hadn’t been brushed since this morning. 

Terra withheld his surprise and muttered aloud to himself, “What's Master Eraqus doing here?” She assumed he was talking about the older gentleman with chin-length black hair held up in a half-ponytail. Their robes were similar in terms of style, but Terra’s seemed to be a bit more modern than his. The same was said for the rest of the old master’s wards. 

“Terra!” The woman with blue hair waved to him as the other two younger men looked on at him and towards Onna.

“Aqua, Ven, what are you guys doing here?” He said as they came closer. 

“We came to help, remember?” Aqua said and gestured towards Vanitas who had his arms and hands bound with magical tethers. “We brought him along because Ven said he would help.”

“You _will_ help, right Van?” Ventus said to the dark-haired boy. 

“Stick your key up your ass,” Vanitas rolled his eyes. “I’m not helping.”

Ventus frowned. “But you said you would!”

“Hah! What are you gonna do? Cry?” 

“Enough, both of you,” Eraqus said with a stern voice and curt nod making Ventus avert his eyes in shame and another eye roll from Vanitas. The old master then turned his eyes towards Onna. “So I’ve heard you’re to help us with Xehanort.”

“Seems that way,” Onna replied. “I was supposed to be briefed over the functionality of Keyblades, but it seems no one’s got the time.”

“I could show you,” Vanitas said with a hungry look. “Just cut me loose.”

“Vanitas..” Aqua warned, her hand placed over Onna carefully. “Leave her alone.”

Vanitas ignored her and walked towards Onna, sizing her up with a cocky grin and flashing yellow eyes. “You don’t look so tough.”

Terra pushed him back and stood in front of her. “Vanitas, stop. You said you’d be on good behavior.”

“It’s alright,” Onna placed a hand on his shoulder. She turned to Vanitas, “Would you do me the kindness of showing me now?”

Terra held her back, “I don’t think that’s a good idea, ma’am. He’s dangerous.” He then lowered his voice to a whisper, “If that Keyblade touches you, you’ll lose your heart.”

“It’s alright,” she repeated with a reassuring squeeze. “You don’t need to worry.”

“Who are you anyways?” Vanitas said. “You that other toy’s sister?”

“Are you referring to my daughter?”

“Oh, shit,” Vanitas let out a laugh. “Seriously? Well, whatever. I dig older women too.”

There was a flash of irritation in Onna’s eyes but she remained smiling courteously; looking to Aqua, she motioned for her to release Vanitas from his bonds. Once the magical tethers were off, disappearing in a cluster of leftover mana, he flexed his arms and fingers gratefully. 

“You wanna know about the Keyblade, huh?” He said, looking up at her. “I’ll show you.” Stretching his hand, a dark ball formed within it and imploded; making everyone around him jump back to safety; black smoke billowed and filled the courtyard, blocking out the sun and sky as voices were scattered about, trying to look for each other via sound. 

Terra picked Onna up by the waist just in time and brought her back with his arm crossed across her protectively. “Stay back!” He warned her. “I’ll take care of him.” His blue eyes searched the fog, “Never should’ve let him loose..”

Another blast followed and she watched as her would-be guardian was blown back and towards the swelling clouds that obscured her vision. A rushing figure that appeared darker than the smoke caught her eye and turned to face it. Vanitas leapt from the darkness with his Keyblade above his head to strike her, he was fast and brought it down to her shoulder for impact but was soon stopped by something that made his bright eyes widen in surprise. 

His Keyblade was stopped midair. 

Delicate hands wrapped around the teeth and he looked to see Onna eyeing his weapon attentively, but slowly brought her gaze towards him instead. Where he saw bright, glowing red eyes. And though he stood a head taller than her, he felt diminished by the way her eyes seemed to pierce through him to his very soul. Her irises were dilated thinly like a viper’s, yet he felt he was being sucked in into that narrow, black void and his body was screaming at him to get the hell away from her pronto. 

“So this is a Keyblade?” She held it as if it was a rolled up piece of paper and to her, it seemed to weigh like that too. “Interesting.” 

Vanitas struggled to take his weapon back but found it useless. It was as if his Keyblade got stuck in a giant rock. 

“Well, this has been enlightening. Thank you,” she said but didn’t let go. “You can put it away now.” The whites of her knuckles were seen as splinters formed along the neck of the key, then, without hesitation, crushed it. This unnerved him, the only other person he had that happen with was with Xemnas- and that’s because he caught him on a bad day. 

It disappeared from his hands and he looked at her with surprise. The following blast from having his weapon temporarily destroyed sent him back, dark mists consuming his body and hiding him from view. Scrambling back up, he searched the thick veil for any sign of her, any sign of those red eyes that glared at him. Then, wind rushed at his back and he felt fingers creep up on his shoulders. He didn’t see, but he had an idea on who it was standing behind him. The only question he had on his mind was how she was able to move so silently, blending into the darkness as if it were a part of her. 

“That’s the trademark of boys,” Onna said calmly, her fingers digging into his shoulders and making him kneel. He then felt something like claws protrude through his armor and into his skin, but not deep enough to pierce it. “Eager to begin, but so quick to finish.” She looked down at him with indifference. “If or when your master decides to come back to attack, would you join him?”

Vanitas tried to push up from the ground, but collapsed onto his knees again. He didn’t even manage to get up an inch. “You think I give a fuck about that old man Xehanort?” he growled. “He was using me, and I was just in it for the ride. Not like I got anything else better to do.”

She watched his face then relaxed her hand. “My daughter spared you, I’ll respect her wishes.” 

He let out a bitter laugh, “If Xehanort finds out you’re her mother, prepare to have a target painted on your back. You two are the same, aren’t you? 

Pulling him up, she made him face her and he held his breath when he saw the wisps of black mist border around her bright red irises. “I welcome it,” she said as she brought her hands up and with a simple motion of her fingers, the black mist he created fell to the ground like a curtain. Aqua, Ventus, and Eraqus were finally visible. Terra immediately ran over to Onna with concern written all over his face. 

“Are you okay?!” He asked her then glared at Vanitas, grabbing him by the collar. “I told you not to try anything.”

She placed a hand on Terra’s and gently pried his fingers from Vanitas. “No harm done, so no need to be angry, Master Terra.”

“Yeah, ‘Master Terra’, no harm done,” Vanitas sneered. “Stop playing the white knight, it’s annoying.” 

One look from Onna immediately made Vanitas turn his head down, the feeling of her fingers on his shoulder still lingered heavily. And his Keyblade.. He wrung his wrist as he cursed under his breath. When they all gathered again, he stole a look at her and saw that her eyes were back to their original color. Just like her daughter, something about her was abnormal and it encouraged Vanitas not to get on her bad side. He wouldn’t want to see those eyes embedded in darkness again and his most primal instincts told him to steer clear. 

  
Vanitas stood to the side as Terra kept asking her if she was alright, even going so far as to offer her assistance back to the castle. He looked to the other Keyblade wielders, their faces showing not even a hint of surprise at what just transpired. He eyed the woman in black with suspicion. 

No one else saw what he did. 

*******

Slipping on some clothes, she checked herself in the mirror and found that the mini-skirt she had was in fact way too mini. She smacked her lips in annoyance when she bent over just a tiny bit and felt air grace the bottom of her ass cheeks. _Too scandalous,_ she thought as she moved towards the closet to change into something else. Sliding her thumbs in the hem of the skirt, she froze when she felt a dark presence in her room and whipped around to become face-to-face with Ardyn. He cornered her against the wall just as she was unzipping her skirt; she tried to shimmy away from him until a hand slammed on the wall beside her head and blocked her in her tracks. 

“My,” he said as he eyed her wardrobe choice. “How indecent.” 

“It’s hot here,” she reasoned with him. “I needed to get proper clothing.”

“By all means,” he purred. “Skirts suit you, my dear.” He zipped hers back up slowly. 

She held his hand by the wrist in an attempt to stop him from touching her further. “Haven’t you had your fill last night?” She protested him with not much effort, but when his hand slid up and down her thigh, she became entangled in his web again. Her cheeks flushed in a mix of the Lestallum air and his fingers lazily dragging up her skin. “Can’t you find another woman to torment?” 

“How can you say that?” His face was hurt but his voice let her know it was a mockery. “After all that we’ve been through?”

“Of course,” She chuckled darkly. “I remember all the good times we’ve had, especially that part where you locked me up and cut me up good. Yes, very memorable.”

“A crude start to our relationship,” he said nonchalantly. “Bitter moments taste so much sweeter after you’ve learned to give in to your pain and desire.”

“You’re a sick man, you know that?”

“Yes,” he smiled softly. “So I’ve been told.”

His fingers came to draw circles around her throat and travel up her neck to hook behind her head and ear. Unknowingly, her hand gripped to the edge of his shirt. Only at night did his multitude of layers seem to lessen, his bold fashion sense was diminished to a simple white dress shirt and slacks. His coat or hat wasn’t in sight and she imagined they were waiting for him in his room. 

“When was the last time you’ve had sex?” She dared to ask him. “Before me.” _Was it Aera_? She wanted to add but stopped when she saw how his eyes darkened considerably. Non-verbally, she received his answer. 

“What have I told you about prying into things you shouldn’t be?” He said with a smile, but exuded a tone so hostile that she knew it was a bad decision to ask that question. 

“And what have I told you about showing up unannounced?”

“Now now,” he murmured. “I know you enjoy my attention.” He raised his knee slightly and she dug her fingers into her palm to remain focused. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be as wet as you are now. Awfully indignant of you, darling.” He brought his knee up and separated her legs more, making her grind against his thigh and letting out a small whimper when it rubbed against her clit. 

Holding her by the throat, he whispered. “I’ve warned you, none of the boys you toy with can do this to you after you’ve tasted me. Your every sin from here on out will always be tainted by my very image.” 

Every rational thought in her head screamed for her to get away, run as fast as she could from this room. It sent warning signals to her mind, shouting: This man is dangerous!!!

Gripping onto him, she did her best to retain her defiant nature. “You’ll get bored of me,” she whispered back, trying to deter him. “I won’t be a shiny new toy for you to play with after long.”

He took strands of her hair between his fingers and rubbed it gently. “Of that, there is no doubt. But I would have my fill of fun until then. So-“ he yanked her hair painfully towards him so that he could whisper in her ear, “-do try to keep me entertained as much as possible, pet.”

A knock on the door got their attention. “Who is it?” She asked loudly, trying to push him away.

“Uh, it’s me. Noct,” came the slightly muffled voice from the other side. 

A flutter of anxiety rose within her. _Shit_. She glanced over to Ardyn who looked highly amused and walked over to move him more towards the side so that he wasn’t visible from where the door opened. 

“Lady?” Noctis called from outside again. 

She flushed when Ardyn seemed to be giving her a hard time and was resolute where he stood. “Uh, just a second!” She yelled out, hoping Noctis could hear her. “I’m, uh, getting dressed!” Pushing Ardyn down onto a chair, she quickly combed through her hair with her fingers and went to answer the door. Opening it just a crack, she saw Noctis’ face and smiled. “Hey Noct, what’s up?”

“Nothing much, you good?” He asked when he saw her expression of mild panic. Her head was awkwardly leaning over to the side with a third of her body sticking out from behind the door, she looked flustered as she had the other parts hidden and out of sight. 

“Yeah yeah, everything’s fine!” She grinned, moving to lean against the door. “You guys going somewhere?”

“Yeah, we were gonna grab a bite to eat. You wanna come?”

She was famished and food sounded delightful right about now. “Ooh, where at?” 

“Gimme a minute, Specs sent me a picture,” he took out his phone and began looking through it and while he did, she felt a hand plant on her ass and began fondling her. Her nails dug into the door and she resisted the urge to let out a surprised yelp for fear of letting Noctis find out who she had in her room with her. 

“Have you found it yet?” She whispered as she felt her skirt being pulled up. Ardyn’s hand bunched up her panties in a fist and pulled upwards sharply, rubbing against her clit and making her jump slightly. He then slipped his fingers down below, his palm cupping her ass while his fingers prodded against her opening and traced it through the flimsy fabric of her underwear.

She couldn’t see him, but she knew he was smiling. 

“Here, told us to meet at some café down the street,” he held up his phone for her to see and the LED light revealed the pink blush on her face. “Are you sick?”

“I’m fine,” she said through gritted teeth as three fingers entered her and pumped slowly. “Are we-” she stopped the clear her throat loudly as a moan almost escaped her lips when he held her clit between his thumb and forefinger, pinching roughly. “Are we going now?” 

Noctis blinked. “You sure you doin’ okay?” His hand reached forward, hesitating before placing it on her forehead. “Forging the covenants is tough, you can stay inside if you want.”

“No, Noct. I’m fine, I promise.” Her panties slid down and left her bare. “I’ll come down shortly, do you mind waiting for a bit?”

“Yeah, sounds good.” He backed away then stopped, taking a deep breath before facing her with squared shoulders. “Lady, I need to tell you something.”

“What is it, Noct?” She felt the tip of Ardyn’s dick press against her opening and spread her folds wide against the head. 

“Listen,” he had his eyes lowered and kept switching his weight between his feet. A nervous habit of his. “I know it’s been kinda crazy. What we been through.”

“Yeah,” she said softly. “It has been.” 

He opened his mouth to continue but closed it promptly, scratching his head and looking to the side as if someone was coming down the hall, but it was only his nervousness getting the better of him. “Can I come in? I should tell you privately.”

“You want to come in?” She repeated dumbly and Ardyn took that as an invitation to slide himself slowly inside of her. “Uh, no I- can’t you tell me now? I should get ready.”

A subtle coloring on his cheeks appeared and he thought he heard someone come down the hall again. “Then come with me after we eat?”

“Okay,” she smiled. “I can do that.” As he turned away, she called him again and looked at him with endearment. “Wait for me?”

He then flashed her an earnest smile. “Always. See you downstairs.” Waving bye, he turned and went to wait at the lobby. She waited until his back disappeared around the corner before closing the door and let the regret of letting that man into her room settle in. 

Because as she closed the door, his hand pressed firmly against the surface and slammed inside of her- making her slump against the wood and brace herself against his relentless thrusts. His hand wrapped around the front of her throat, a common gesture from him nowadays that signified his will to dominate her. 

He leaned over to whisper in her ear, flicking her clit and massaging it roughly. “What did the little prince want to say to you? Perhaps a declaration of love?”

“No,” she denied it through gritted teeth and bit on her lip when she felt liquid travel down her thighs. “Leave me alone.”

He smiled. “I realized something while I entered you when you were talking to the prince.”

Her nostrils flared as she tried to keep her moans down in her throat and to keep what was coming at bay. 

“You got tighter, my dear,” his words were venomous. “You got excited at the notion of being found out, didn’t you? What a naughty little minx.”

“What?!” She looked at him over her shoulder. “That’s disgusting, I would never- mmph!” Her words were stopped when his mouth took hers and their tongues thrashed. His fingers played with her clit more and she felt something come out in excited squirts that soaked the floor beneath them, making her legs weak and prone to collapsing. Hooking his arm under her leg, he lifted it up and continued thrusting- having no care that the door kept moving and thumping due to their combined weights pressing up on it. Now taking both of her legs, he lifted her up against the door and fucked her and they were making much more noise than before. 

“Stop..” she managed to choke out as her back collided with the wood. “You’re.. making.. too much noise.”

“But it seems to me you’ve no problem with an audience,” he kissed her on the lips tenderly and silenced what moans came from her. Releasing her mouth, he grinned as he had noticed he worked up a sweat two days in a row. “Where do you want to be marked this time, my dear?”

She was at her wits end, already having squirted all over the carpet and no doubtededly on his pants as well. “Anywhere! Just hurry up-!”

“Anywhere?” He has a devious glint in his eye. 

She quickly caught on to what he was doing. “No, wait, I take that back!”

“Far too late.” And far too late it was. He stopped as his cock throbbed and pulsed within her, spewing out strings of sperm that coated her insides thoroughly. She felt the warm liquid drip down, mixing with her own and pooling together at her upper thigh. Her arms were wrapped around his neck as she sighed, catching her breath while he supported her weight effortlessly. Under her hands, she could feel his back rise and fall as he breathed. He too was catching his breath and in a way that brought comfort to her, knowing that he had limits. 

A shift of his arms let her know to brace herself as they dropped and her legs followed. Hanging onto the doorknob for support, she leaned her face against the wood that was now warm from her body heat. Staggering to get up with wobbling knees, she tried to go to the bathroom but was stopped as Ardyn pushed her back. 

“I need to clean up _your_ mess,” she hissed and tried pushing back, but it was like pitting her strength against a boulder. 

“Allow me a proper viewing,” he commanded and motioned for her to turn around. 

“Absolutely not.”

“I’ll allow you to leave once you do,” he promised her and her shoulders sagged. 

_Might as well._ Walking back to the door, she stretched her ass out for him. 

“Lift your skirt up for me, won’t you?”

Biting down on her lip, she slid the bottom hem of her skirt up for him to see and she felt him direct her hands to cup her ass. 

“Spread them, I need a better look.”

A chill ran up her spine as she did as she was told, despite the warmth that dripped from her slowly. Before anything could completely fall from her, he took her ass cheeks and squeezed them together, squeezing her body against the door and his. “You won’t be needing these,” he said as he bunched up her panties in his fist and ripped them off. “They’re soiled anyways.”

“If you keep ripping my underwear off, I won’t have anymore for this entire trip,” she growled and heard him chuckle. 

“An end result that directly benefits me.” 

“You could’ve came anywhere else,” she pushed back but only ended up pressing her ass against his crotch. “But you did it inside! What if I get pregnant?”

“To receive an heir from the one True King, it should be an honor, no?” 

She gritted her teeth. “Unbelievable. Find another woman to impregnate, I don’t have plans on having yours.”

“Are you upset?”

This pissed her off- his utter disregard for anyone else beside himself. “Of course I am!” she turned around and leaned against the door with crossed arms. “You can’t just do that!”

He gripped her chin. “Would you rather I do so in your mouth?” A mischievous glint appeared in his eyes. “I should have, shouldn’t I? When you talk to the little prince, you’d be able to taste me, there, right at your throat. Dictating your every word.”

Inhaling to maintain her composure, she held her chin up. “You told me I could leave after I did what you asked for.”

“Correct,” he nodded slowly and reached behind her to grasp the doorknob and opened the door to push her out. 

“What are you doing?!”

“I thought we agreed that I would let you leave after you’ve given me a show, and you have. So this is me letting you leave,” he said as he shut the door slowly. 

“Hey!” She tried to push it back open. “I can’t walk around in this skirt with no underwear! Are you insane?! Plus-“ she lowered her voice to a hissing whisper, “-your sperm is _literally_ dripping down my leg!!!”

Ardyn opened the door a crack. “That sounds like an awfully personal problem, my dear.” With that, he shut the door, leaving her in the hallway with her mouth hung agape in shock. “Don’t keep your prince waiting!” He called from inside her room and she wanted to kick it open- but she didn’t want to make a scene. Not tonight.

Taking it off the chin, she marched down the hall with her legs awkwardly close together every time she took a step. From the top of the curved stairs of the lobby, she saw Noctis sitting on a couch with his phone in his hands and playing a game. He kept his word and waited for her. 

Descending down, he looked up and saw her mini-skirt and blouse. He sat up and blinked, taking in the sight. “Hot.” He closed his eyes when he realized how stupid he sounded. “I mean, you hot? No, uh, never mind.”

“Yeah,” she laughed and ruffled his hair. “It’s hot out here. Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“No problem, was playing King’s Knight anyways,” he got up. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah,” she slipped her arm around his. “Hey, Noct?”

“Yeah?”

“About the thing you wanted to tell me..” she glanced up at him through her lashes. “Do you mind if you tell me _after_ we see the Archaean?” 

He relaxed slightly, glad that he didn't have to tell her whatever it was he had to say tonight. “Alright.”

*******

The five of them were sitting at a table seated seep in the market that was just as lively at night as it was in the day. Stalls crowded around them and the heavy aroma of smoking meat and vegetables were in close proximity, filling their nostrils and making their mouths salivate. Night lights strung on wires streamed over them and some lamps were hung up near where they sat to provide illumination. It was pleasant, save for the casual fly that irritated them and warranted a wayward slap. 

It didn’t take long for their food to arrive and everyone got a heaping help, save for Ignis who ordered what he deemed an ‘amuse-bouche’ as most of Lestallum’s cuisine wasn’t much to his liking.

Gladio saw that Lady hadn’t even touched her food despite it smoking with freshness right in front of her. “What’s eating you?” he asked. 

Lady blinked then looked at him, studying him as if she forgot what he looked like then quickly grabbed her skewer and nibbled the end piece. “Nothing,” she said after she swallowed. “Just thinking about what my mom’s up to.”

“She seems capable,” he patted her leg that kept bouncing up and down in nervous habit. “Stop worrying.” When her leg didn’t stop, he instead squeezed her thigh and it made her freeze immediately. His hand was large enough to cover the whole width of her lower thigh with his fingers barely grazing the inner part. 

“Yeah,” she muttered, but seemed unconvinced. 

“So, we’re gonna visit Titan tomorrow?” Prompto said from his seat across the table. He was seated in front of her and was working on a sandwich platter with a side of chips. “That’s pretty cool, right?”

“Yeah, to forge a covenant,” she was nibbling on a stick cleared of meat now. “I’m going to be exhausted by the end of this, I can feel it.” 

“What’s so important about you doing this again?” Noctis asked. 

She blinked then frowned. “I thought my mom told you?”

“She wasn’t very foregoing on details,” Ignis admitted. 

She scoffed loudly and dropped her stick back onto her plate. “Well get used to that, that’s how she rolls. But I can tell you what I know on the way tomorrow.”

Noctis raised a brow. “Why not now?” 

“I’m tired,” she said, looking at him. _And I have your great-great-greaaat uncle’s sperm sliding down my leg_ , she thought.

Speaking of which, when Gladio touched her leg earlier, she hoped he didn’t feel anything. Stealing a glance at his hands, she let out a sigh when they appeared dry and looked down between her own legs to see her own fluids of arousal, clear and viscous, stand out on her skin. She _really_ hoped he didn’t feel that. 

“Ignis,” she asked. “Have you ever heard of gods coming to visit mortals?”

Ignis leaned back in his chair, “From what I understand, Messengers are sent as convoys. Rarely do they go themselves, if at all. Even if they were to come in contact with a human, their speech would be hard to discern. Why?”

“Nothing,” she had her chin on her fist. “Just curious.”

“What do the gods sound like?” Prompto jumped in, a crumb on his lip. 

Lady reached forward and brushed off his lips with a napkin before answering. “It sounds almost like the element they use. Varies from each, of course.”

“It sounds like a recording played backwards really fast,” Noctis added. 

“I keep forgetting you can hear them,” Prompto laughed. “Sorry bud.”

“The Lucian line has been closely in tune with the Six for over two millenia,” Ignis said, then turned to Noctis. “I believe your father and grandfather made covenants once, long ago.”

Noctis snorted and placed his arms behind his head. “Glad I don’t have to do that. Traveling around to find the Six seems exhausting.”

“You’re so lazy,” Lady picked up one of her fries and chucked it at the prince, watching it bounce off his shirt. “How do you think I feel?”

“Well, you ain’t Noct,” Gladio winked at her. “I’m sure you can handle some divine intervention, right?” 

“Yeah! Besides, you got us,” Prompto grinned. 

“Thanks guys, you’re the best,” she said, but was interrupted by a block of ice that hit her face and slid down her shirt. She glared daggers at the perpetrator, “Except for you, Noct-ass.”

“Please,” Ignis had his stern eyes look at both of them. “Adults shouldn’t be playing with food.”

“Ice isn’t food,” Noctis said with his shit-eating grin displayed proudly on his face. 

“Yeah it is,” she frowned. “It’s a solid form of water, you drink it.”

“But that’s not eating it, technically.”

“Seriously? You’re still ingesting it.”

Noctis shrugged and she rolled her eyes. “Way to set an example as an adult,” she chided. “I’m sure the Lucians are going to weep when you get crowned.”

“You think you’d do any better?”

She grinned. “If I was a queen? Hell yeah.”

At this, Noctis smiled back.

Ignis looked up to see the moon rise high in the sky, indicating the stroke of midnight. “We should get some rest if we’re to see the Archean tomorrow.”

“Can’t wait to pay His Enormousness a visit,” Gladio mumbled as they all got up after stacking their plates and thanking the cook. 

“Aw man, I’m so full!” Prompto stretched his arms above his head. “Hope I can get some good sleep tonight!”

She saw the other three glance at the blond nervously and she was about to ask why until Gladio slowed down and stopped her as well. “You guys go on ahead,” he called to them when they turned around. “Lady and I will come shortly, promise.”

Nodding, they went back to the hotel as Gladio pulled her down to the left towards the giant power plant that gave energy to the whole town. It was late, so of course barely any workers walked on the street they were in, except for some couples who were taking a midnight stroll. They stopped and she leaned against a wall with her hands behind her back while he stood in front with crossed arms. 

_Uh-oh, I don’t like where this is going._

“Earlier when I touched your thigh…”

_Definitely don’t like where this is going._

“I felt something wet,” he stated bluntly. “Are you doing okay?”

“Yeah,” she said but couldn’t hide the massive blush on her face. “Sorry about that, maybe I spilled water on my lap.”

“Lady, I know you’re not that clumsy,” he put an arm above her head and leaned in. “And I know what water feels like. That wasn’t it.”

_No use in fooling him, I guess._ “The truth is,” she quickly fabricated a half-lie in her head. “I was.. er, trying to get off before dinner. But then Noct came so I didn’t really have time to clean up.” 

“Really?” He stared at her, wide-eyed. “Is that why it took you guys so long?”

“Yeah..” she thought of Ardyn fucking her against the wall and dug her nails into her palm when that memory made her feel wet. “Sorry, I’ve just been _needy_ lately. I’ll clean up next time.”

“What, you did yourself so good it soaked through your panties?” He said with a light laugh, trying to make her feel less embarrassed. 

It unfortunately had the opposite effect. “Um… I don’t.. actually have any on right now..”

Gladio seemed surprised at this, carefully studying her flushed face and the way she squeezed her legs together in hopes that no more liquid escaped her. She was rightfully bashful, _but_ she looked so damn good. He could only imagine the kinds of faces she made when she came and was admittedly curious to find out. 

“Hey,” he said, his voice lowering into a lower tenor. “If you need someone to itch that scratch of yours. You can ask me.”

This caught her off guard and had her look up at him in shock. She knew his tendency for chatting up women but this didn’t seem like him. “Are you offering to be friends with benefits?”

Gladio chuckled. “If you wanna call it that, yeah. But trust me, I don’t offer that choice very often.” He studied her and saw how her face heated up, “You don’t have to answer if it’s that embarrassing. Just thought it would help you out.. also, it kinda helps me out.”

She was dumbfounded. “What?”

He grinned and she found it to be slightly wolffish, with his white teeth and hair blowing from the power generated winds. “C’mon, you don’t really think you can be traveling with all guys and not expect them to feel something? Especially when you look like this,” he brushed her chin up with his finger. “You know I caught Noct and Prom practically eye fucking you when we were at Hammerhead and you took your shirt off. Only when you weren’t looking, of course.”

“No way,” she chewed the inside of her cheek. “That’s a lie.”

He rolled his eyes playfully at this. “I knew those boys a long time and if Iggy wasn’t such a gentleman, trust me, he would’ve been staring too.” He saw her face as one of incomprehension and winked at her, “Come on doll face, lemme take you back.”

When they walked back together, she stood close to him and kept up where the crowds got thicker. Even if she lost him here, she would no doubt find him easily again just by his height alone. Air conditioning met them when they arrived back at the hotel and she was thankful. Lestallum was lively and fun but damned humid. 

Walking up the stairs to the rooms, Gladio stopped and pointed to a door.“That’s ours, wanna come say goodnight?”

“Maybe I’ll tell a bedtime story if you’re lucky,” she smiled and followed him in. “Hey boys,” she greeted them once inside and counted four heads including her own. Frowning, she glanced at the bathroom, hoping to see the missing member but saw no one was there. “Where’s Prompto?”

“Uh,” Noctis seemed unsure of what to say and so he glanced at Ignis. 

“Prompto sleeps in a separate room,” Ignis told her. “He insisted on it.”

“What? Why?”

“The past three years haven’t been kind to him,” he took a keycard from the nightstand and handed it to her. “Would you mind checking on him?”

“Yeah,” she nodded and took the key from him, but he held it tightly at first.

“Please don’t blame yourself,” he relinquished the card and she gave him a confused look. She didn’t bother asking, because she figured that she’d find out herself soon. 

*******

Prompto’s room was chilly and his curtains were drawn completely, only allowing a sliver of light in; she waited until her vision got used to the darkness before continuing inside. On his bed stand was his camera and a cylindrical plastic container with a white top. Walking over to it, she picked it up and held it up towards her phone light to glance at the labeling. She held her breath when she saw what the prescription said. 

A bottle of benzos. 

It was a bottle of sleeping pills. With a rather heavy dose, too. Benzos, or benzodiazepines, were used for cases of mild to extreme anxiety and for patients that often suffered from insomnia or night terrors. In large enough doses though, it could encourage their depression or anxiety to become worse. 

Shaking it, she could see there were about two left and panic settled inside her. Setting it down, she sat beside Prompto and lifted the side of her fingers to his nose; letting out a breath of relief when she felt him exhale softly and stir lightly. This dose seemed to be the regular for him and this worried her even more. 

She remembered Ignis’ words before she left their room earlier: _“He’s had trouble sleeping. Ever since you passed.”_

Her heart sank as she watched his face make small expressions of agitation. She brushed away strands of blond from his face and found his forehead to be perspiring. Leaning over, she placed a kiss on his freckled nose and got up to leave him be. It was better that he attained whatever sleep he could. 

“No.. please..” 

She stopped and turned around to see Prompto start to thrash around softly in his blankets. His voice was edged with panic. 

“I’m sorry..”

Walking over to him, she saw his face twisted in fear and saw his forehead shine with sweat with what little moonlight came in the room.

“I didn’t mean to kill you..!”

She swallowed hard and sat beside him in bed. Taking him by the shoulders, she shook him. 

“I’m sorry.. so sorry!”

Lady shook him harder, “Prompto, wake up!” 

Tears pricked his eyes as he came to and looked at her wide-eyed with alarm. He let out a tiny gasp as he looked at his surroundings and tried to ground himself in reality. She cupped his face with both hands when he tried to look away when he realized who it was in front of him. “Prompto, look at me. Please.” 

He closed his eyes as his tears streamed, panting heavily. “It’s my fault you died. If I hadn’t missed.. you wouldn’t have..” He fell into her arms and buried his face into her shoulder. “I’m such a fuck up. I always mess things up for everybody. I’m so sorry..!”

She hugged him back and stroked his hair. “You’re okay, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I’m sorry,” he kept mumbling after swallowing another sob. “I was so scared.” He didn’t dare close his eyes, he was scared that he would see those hateful purple eyes darting towards him again. 

“It’s okay now,” she repeated, shushing him. “...How long have you been on those pills?”

He quietened down to respond. “Starting three years ago. I needed to see someone because my nightmares were getting worse.. But how do I tell a doctor I was there to see her because I killed my friend without sounding completely crazy? I just kept telling them I had trouble sleeping and they prescribed me those..” He sniffed and laughed bitterly. “You probably think I’m pathetic, huh?”

“You’re not,” she said sternly and held him closer. “If anyone should be apologizing, it’s me. I put you all in such a mess.” The mistakes she’d made in the past still haunted not just her, but everyone that was close to her. It still remains as one of her biggest regrets today, but looking back at it in this moment, could she have really done anything different?? 

“You’re here, right?” He whispered and began rocking back and forth in her arms. “You’re really here, I’m not dreaming still, right?”

“I’m here, sunshine. And I’m not leaving you,” she assured him and he stifled another whimper. Sitting there, listening to his cries, all she could do was hug him tighter to make sure she knew that she was very much alive and there with him. 

After a short while, it didn’t take long for him to fall asleep. She stayed beside him, propped up in a chair and held his hand in hers. Whenever he stirred, she squeezed his hand and whenever he sniveled, she caressed his head. Soon enough he was so deep in sleep that his hand went limp in hers, but she still didn’t let go. In the silence, she was given respite to think about the events that happened yesterday. 

It seemed to her that another batch of her own memories seemed to be repressed as it did when she was possessed by Jenova. It was commonplace for memories deemed traumatic to be buried deep within the mind, but the memories she had as a child weren’t detrimental at all- save for her father’s death. So why now, did she remember: that the gods used to visit her and her mother?

That was a question best left for her mother herself. And she wondered what she was up to at this very moment. 

*******

A circular gold locket sat in Onna’s palm, playing a light melody as a glowing butterfly arose from the visible machinations of the turning metal cylinder that met the comb to play the song that reminded her of home. The butterfly undulated between a passageway of projected stars that appeared by magic from the locket and left a trail of sparkling dust as it perched on the edge of her finger. On the other half of the locket was an engraving in delicate form: ‘I’ll always be with you.’ 

It had no name, nor anything else inscribed on it, but she didn’t need it to be. 

“A beautiful melody,” came a voice from the darkness and she turned to see a tall man with silver hair and golden eyes. Whenever he stepped closer, the shadows seemed to cling to him and shrouded his steps. 

“Thank you,” she smiled and snapped the locket close with one hand. The butterfly that rested on her finger soon disappeared into a cloud of light that floated away. “I’ve heard of you. Xemnas, correct? You weren’t at the meeting earlier.”

“Indeed,” he affirmed and stood beside her. “And you’re her mother.” 

“That I am,” she said with a nod. “May I help you?”

“Is your daughter safe?”

“She’s fine. She has her friends with her right now.”

“And what of your friends?”

She glanced at him with amusement, “You mean those three? They’re in Insomnia. I came here alone because I work better that way… Though I’m sure they would protest it.” They were standing on a balcony overlooking the town of Radiant Garden, some lights were still on as others were off and pitch black. By all means, she should be in bed now too. 

“Tell me,” she faced him. “What is she to you, my daughter?” Watching his face, she grinned when she found her answer. “Ah, nevermind. I can see it clear in your eyes.” His subtle confusion amused her more. “Most men don’t express their feelings verbally,” she tapped on the space near her eyes and Xemnas saw how they glinted mischievously. “The eyes always tell the truth.”

“She is.. “ he paused. “Special to me.”

Onna had a serene expression on her face. “How many hearts has my daughter stolen in this castle, I wonder. Has yours been taken?”

A faint smile appeared on his lips. “It was the opposite. She gave me mine.” His eyes traveled down to the golden locket still clutched in her hand. “Who was it from?”

“My late husband. On the eve of our wedding night,” she answered simply, the serenity on her face faltering slightly. He watched her carefully, so much of her and Lady’s past was obscure to him and he wondered just how far it would go if he investigated. But he assumed neither women would like that very much. 

Curiosity wasn’t something he liked expressing outwardly, but he had to ask. “After all these years, why come back now?”

She inhaled the fresh air that blew past them. “I’m assuming you’re a man of discretion,” she turned to him. “Yes?” When he gave her a subtle nod, she turned her gaze back to the town. “Xigbar’s informed me of what I’ve missed these years. It’s regretful I couldn’t be there for her.”

“At one point, you and your group hunted her down, right?”

“...Yes.” What else could he say? How would he even apologize for those acts?

“What if I told you you weren’t the first to do so?”

His brows furrowed slightly. “What do you mean?”

“You must know by now, how special she is. Have you seen her wield magic? Have you ever seen her harness power as easily as intaking oxygen?” 

“Yes. I’m assuming that’s what she was hunted for in your land?”

“Correct,” she hesitated before continuing. “It’s more than that, more of _what_ she is. For that reason alone, a group hunted her and I down in Spira. It wasn’t safe for her or my husband, so I had to keep up appearances while trying to find out just who was plotting our demise. Unfortunately-“ she gripped the locket in her hand tightly, “-I was too late. They killed my husband. Priests from my own sect. Priests of Bahamut.”

Xemnas watched as her eyes grew dark and cold. “What fate befell them?”

She glanced at him with a half-hearted smile. “What fate do you think traitors and murderers get?” Closing her eyes, she sighed. “Though it pains me that I was the reason she ran away. It was better that she left Spira and go away as far as she could. Our home is beautiful and serene, but the corruption from our governing powers runs deep into our roots. Such is expected from an organization that’s taken place since time immemorial. It took me years to find those corrupted sects and rid the world of them.”

“Did you destroy all of them?”

A nervous tap of her finger gave away her feelings. “Bahamut was- is, the most powerful Astral of the Six. Thus his priesthood are omnipresent and cunning, just like their master. I thought I was thorough but.. there’s room for doubt.” She watched more of the lights go out in the town before continuing, “I wouldn’t be surprised if they followed me here.”

“A necessary risk, I take it?”

“Very much so.” The last light finally went out as a flicker from a small, square-shaped window. She waited a beat before stuffing her locket into a pocket lined in her kimono and facing Xemnas. “Your master will be here any minute, otherwise you wouldn’t be out here, right?”

“Yes, I should warn the others,” he said and she reached forward to stop him. 

“No need,” she smiled. “Let them sleep, and you should be off to bed too.”

This baffled him. “What will you do?”

“What I came here to do.”

“It’s better if I go,” he stood fast. “You’ll be missed if something were to happen.”

She shook her head and smiled up at him. “I think my daughter favors the friends she’s made more as opposed to the family that abandoned her.” 

When Xemnas saw her eyes, he understood what she meant earlier. Even though she smiled and has been smiling for almost every time he’s seen her, her eyes were void of any true joy. An empty husk of a person that’s seen hardship. It reminded him of how he was just years ago. 

*******

A storm brewed over Radiant Garden as a lone man walked slowly towards the city of light. He saw a glimmering dome take place over the town and cover its mass expense, securing its safety. From the bridge he used, another figure met him at the far end. Standing in a dense fog that was conjured from the water beneath the path they both tread on. 

Onna waited for the man to come closer before she spoke. “So, you must be Xehanort.” The castle’s denizens matched the description of him perfectly. 

The old man stepped forward. “And you aren’t the one I seek, but her mother.”

“Yes,” she smiled. “I am. I’m curious about something, so indulge me before we carry on to whatever bout you intend.” She watched him carefully and rested her hand on her sword that hung by her waist. “Even deprived of allies, you still choose to make a stand. Why?”

Xehanort didn’t respond and she continued. “Your old friend Eraqus is here, you know. He mourns your loss, but still doesn’t wish ill upon you.”

“Eraqus always was the better out of the two of us,” he finally responded. “But his heart is filled with too much light, he couldn’t possibly understand what it is I have planned.” His golden eyes narrowed, “As for those I once called allies, it’ll be a simple task to take them back. Their will is weak and easily broken.”

“Your plan for this world- no, this _realm_. Do you truly intend to try and change it? It’s a fool’s errand.” 

“Only the ignorant see it as that,” he said calmly with his hands folded behind his back. “It’s my calling. To remake the worlds and shape them with purity. I’ve seen laws made by men not fit to rule and too weak to exercise their will, it’s time for that to change.”

She muttered something under her breath and looked up at him. “You really think you could eradicate ignorance forever? Mistakes- gone, just like that?” Stepping forward, she had her hand ready to draw. “Even if you recreated this world and all others ten times over, you would never be able to get rid of that flaw. To exist is to commit error, over and over again.”

He regarded her carefully. “What would you know about that?”

“There’s more going on than your little plot to rid the worlds of something natural. Something far more sinister. You’re wasting your efforts. You should be spending the evening of your years doing something more productive, wouldn’t you agree?” 

“Time means nothing to me,” his eyes hardened. “I command it at will and thus have more than you can imagine.”

She scoffed lightly and flicked her sword up with her thumb and held it there, poised to draw. “Your time is borrowed.”

“Your daughter isn’t here,” Xehanort smiled wickedly. “But I assume your heart must be the same. All I need is a strong power source. You’ll do.” 

“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that.”

Drawing her sword, she waited for him to take his weapon in hand, but found it odd that he didn’t. Soon, she found out why as a rush of wind as well as the sound of metal grinding came from behind her and she turned with sword in hand only to be met with another man with silver hair. This one was younger, and shared the same golden eyes as Xehanort and Xemnas, and even Vanitas. 

“I’m sorry it had to come to this,” he said softly, a sadistic look in his eye with not a hint of remorse. She exhaled slowly and took a step back when she realized what that metal sound she heard earlier was. 

A Keyblade, black as night, had pierced her chest. 

The younger man, presumed to be Xehanort’s younger counterpart, looked down upon her smugly and watched a void being opened where her heart was. 

His smug grin disappeared shortly though, as Onna looked.. _bored._

“You’re fast, I applaud you,” she said to him quietly as she grabbed the end of the Keyblade, taking it out carefully, and to both Xehanorts, young and old, they looked on in pure astonishment. 

“That would’ve worked...” Once it was out of her chest, she wrapped her fist around it and promptly crushed it into tiny pieces that fell to the ground in sad flakes. She leered at him with red eyes burning with hellfire. “If I had a heart to begin with.” 


	23. XXIII

Before Prompto could wake up, she left to go back to her own room to freshen up and change. Her back ached horribly as she fell asleep in the chair next to him, but she didn’t mind. For the rest of the night, he slept soundly and didn’t stir at all and if that’s what it took for him to sleep, she would gladly do it again and again. When she came back to her room, she saw Ardyn sitting on the sofa and reading a newspaper. He didn’t even glance up from the paragraph he perused even as she walked in. 

“Good morning, my dear,” he greeted her casually. 

“Shut up,” she glared at him on the way in and walked over to her closet to pick out her battle dress for today. “Let’s see..” she had to remind herself that Titan was situated in a hollow crater filled with heat-radiating meteor shards. Picking out her outfit, she turned to Ardyn and raised her brows expectantly. “Can you leave?”

“There’s nothing under your garments that I haven’t already had the pleasure of viewing,” he said, again without looking up from his column of obituaries. “Or need I remind you I laid you bare-“

“Fine, fine!” She unzipped her skirt and let it pool at her feet as well as her shirt. “Don’t suppose it’d be useful to tell you to not look?”

“Not at all.”

“Hmph,” she stopped before she headed into the bathroom. “You won’t be bothering me when I see Titan, right?”

Only then did he lower his newspaper down to peer at her. “Of course not, my dear.”

Taking his answer, she went to freshen up for the day. A quick shower at the coldest temperature possible was duly needed and when she got out, she saw Ardyn standing by the balcony with a cup of coffee in his hand. He sipped it while his eyes watched the crowds audibly basking in the sun below, he watched from a safe distance where the light didn’t hit him directly and he seemed to ignore her as she quickly changed into her shorts and shirt. Though she stopped when she saw what he was doing next. 

He set his coffee cup down on a table before his hand, gloveless and bare, traveled towards the unfiltered light that entered her room through the balcony opening. His fingers shook with a flutter of hesitation before stretching out tentatively, like a newborn pup trying to stand for the very first time. Then as the very tips of his fingers touched the cone of light, smoke arose from his flesh and seemed to burn away at his skin slowly. Though it healed quicker than it burned, the sight of it still made his eyes darken. 

But he didn’t take his hand away, even if it was obviously averse to the sun. 

Then another hand covered his, smaller and more delicate. 

He needn’t look to see who it was and felt her hand guide his more towards the spot the sun shone. She blocked him from harm, but didn’t obscure him from the light. He felt warmth. Warmth that he thought he wouldn’t be able to feel again after so long without a sting of pain to go with it. 

Slowly, they withdrew their hands into the darkness together and deep amber eyes met hers. 

Ardyn’s face softened a tad and she saw the man that was once a peaceable figure. A kind and generous man who was promised a throne. Then, as quick as it appeared, it went away and was replaced by the man she first knew, loathing and tired. Taking something from his pocket, he held up a pill and for some reason- she took it from him willingly. Parting her lips as he placed it on her tongue. 

“Wouldn’t want to be fertile with the kin of a false king, now, would you?” He said with such a soft voice.

Something showed in his face and it unnerved her. Without another word, she packed what she needed for the trip and left the room without looking at him again. There was something in his eyes again that gave her pause. 

He seemed sad. 

*******

“Alright boys, pack it in,” Gladio instructed them as Noctis rubbed his eyes and yawned obnoxiously loud to let the others know of his state of alertness. 

“Morning, princess,” Lady appeared beside him and messed up his hair with a thorough rub. “Wakey, wakey!” Noctis only let out an unintelligible sound as he swatted away her hand three seconds too late as she was already walking towards Ignis. 

The tall man was inspecting his glasses and held it up towards the sun to see where the spots on the lenses were marred by an accidental fingerprint. 

“Here, let me,” she took his precious spectacles away gently and held them to her mouth, fogging the lenses up with her breath before wiping it with her jacket. Before he could protest, she assured him, “Don’t worry. My jacket’s made of microfiber. It’s waterproof. Cool, right?” He didn’t get a chance to respond as she finished wiping them down and placed them back on his face carefully. 

When his vision became fixed, her smiling face was the first he saw.

“How’s that?” She asked. “Clear?”

“Crystal,” he responded.

“I call shotgun!” Prompto didn’t bother opening the door and jumped in with his legs pulled up impressively high to his chest. When he landed in his seat, Lady leaned over and whispered in his ear. 

“How’d you sleep?” 

The tip of his ears turned red. “Better,” he whispered. “Thanks.”

“Let me know if I can help tonight too,” she whispered back before getting up to go to her assigned seat in the back. 

“My lady,” Gladio made a show of bowing his head and gesturing towards the car while he held the door open for her. 

“Why thank you,” she winked. “Do massages come complimentary with the service too? Or do I have to pay extra?”

“If you ask nicely, they could be free,” he said as she slid into the seat and bumped arms with Noctis. 

Strapping in her seatbelt, she elbowed him lightly and whispered in his ear. “Wanna nap on me?”

“I could nap on anything right now,” he stifled a yawn. “A boulder would work.”

She smirked. “Would my shoulder suffice?”

“Hm, it’s not a boulder but I guess it could,” he shrugged before balancing his head onto her. 

“Are we all settled in?” Ignis asked everyone. 

“Yep!” said Prompto.

“Ready whenever you are,” said Gladio.

“You bet,” said Lady, who also spoke for Noctis. 

“Then let’s be on our way, shall we?”

*******

When everyone awoke at Radiant Garden, they were surprised as anything to find the enemy they’ve been carefully planning and plotting their defense/offense for to be in their home- but not as a foe. Rather, he showed up bearing a figurative white flag.

“What the hell happened?” Lea whispered to Roxas. “We were all sleeping, right? Did you do something?”

The blond raised his eyebrows incredulously. “What? No! I was sleeping too!” He then turned to Xion. “Did you?”

Xion, who still had a glamorous case of bedhead, frowned at both of them. “Does it look like I did?” She then turned to Sora. “Did you see what happened last night?”

“No..” the brunet seemed ashamed. “Sorry guys, I was out for the count.”

“It’s okay,” Kairi reassured him. “I’m sure we all were, right Riku?”

The young man with silver hair blinked then sat at attention. “Uh, right. Yeah.” He narrowed his softly hued sea-green eyes at the table as if it were the perpetrator. “Something about this feels off, doesn’t it?”

The ones seated at the table nodded solemnly in agreement.

Young Xehanort was held in a large atrium built within the castle walls. It served as a garden where they obtained their herbs and floral decorations for the place, but deep within was the secret horde of flowers that Lauriam kept well away from the other members- and for good reason. 

Golden eyes glared up at Xemnas with extreme disapproval. His mouth was moved in a slant to show how much this situation wasn’t one Xehanort could’ve predicted in the slightest. An outlier of perceived outcomes that wasn’t at all to his favor. 

“Traitor,” the young man said to his counterpart but Xemnas remained unphased. He simply didn’t care for remaining loyal to him, after all. 

“What are we going to do?” Elrena sat on a table with her legs swinging over the side. In her hand was a small knife that crackled with electricity every time she tossed it up and caught it. “I say we send him where he’ll never see the light of day.” 

Xehanort laughed darkly. “Are you sure you aren’t still a Nobody with that cruel attitude of yours?”

Lauriam tossed him an icy glare. “There’d be no use. He doesn’t really exist, not in this time anyways.” 

“Then let’s send him back with a black eye,” she growled. 

“Patience,” Xemnas reminded both of them as the sound of rustling clothes became more distinct. 

Through a hazy vale of protective magic, Onna stepped through with her eyes appraising this hidden part of the atrium. Glass walls decorated with lattice panels surrounded one side; bushes, hedges, flowerpots, and multiple planters dotted the room in specific order of either size, color or genus of species. She was inherently delighted at seeing all of these blooms together, and immediately realized why this part of the atrium was well locked away from other members who weren’t versed in botany. 

“You’ve a toxic hobby,” she said, eyeing Lauriam. 

His pink hair was loosely gathered in a bun which he soon disposed off and let fall around his shoulders. “You can say I appreciate all things dangerous and the beautiful,” he said with a smirk. 

Xehanort was situated underneath a tree with low-hanging flowers shaped like tiny bells chained together in a cone-like formation. Right above the tree was where the sun filtered in through the heavily-paned glass to provide the plants with all the nutrients they need for their photosynthetic desires. 

Onna took one of the tree’s flowers in her hand gently, standing right next to Xehanort. “It was a common belief that wisteria’s had the natural ability to keep predators at bay- monsters, daemons..” she paused. “Even gods.” She let the bloom fall from her hand and watched it sway, “Of course, it’s all a misconception. But it gives people hope.”

She walked back to stand right in front of him. “You’ve two options. One, you comply and return to your original time with no intent to start another feud with my daughter or any of whom she’s close to. Any plans involving even the idea of harming anyone for your gain shall be void and nulled. Your past may stay the same, but your future shall no longer intervene with theirs.” 

“And the second option?”

“Oh, it’s the same,” she stated coldly. “Except I will send you back with force.” She saw alarm appear in his eyes and within him, a shuddering feeling of fear crept up on his shoulders. 

_ This woman _ , he thought, _ she wasn’t natural. Something’s not right _ . It was evident to him last night when his surprise attack failed horribly. He watched her carefully and glanced at Xemnas. She wasn’t a Nobody. He would’ve picked up on that sooner. So then, what was she? The gears in his head turned with much effort and his eyes widened slightly when a theory came to the forefront of his mind. 

Onna seemed to read his thoughts and watched his face twist with minute confusion. She brought a finger up to her smiling lips in a hushing motion as her eyes glowed with subtle fire, as if to say: ‘Who would believe you even if you told them?’

Picking up the hem of her kimono, she turned around. “If my options won’t suffice, I’ll let you all decide a third,” she told them as she stopped by to observe a plant with flowering, dark purple blooms with equally scrumptious looking berries that any one would be delighted to find when starving in a forest. 

“ _ Atropa belladonna _ ,” she stated aloud and Lauriam nodded approvingly. 

“Also known as deadly nightshade,” he said. “Very good eye.”

Onna grinned and used the back of her hand to gingerly raise the dark berries to the sun. “Did you know that only two of these are required to incapacitate a child? They can also cause delirium, elevated heartbeat, loss of motor controls, and even uncontrollable vomiting.. for starters,” she said this before turning to face Xehanort. “I wonder, how much would it take for a grown man?” Standing, she took her leave and left the others to decide his fate. 

*******

“Are we there yet?” Prompto eyed the road ahead of them. 

“Do you see the jagged peaks of the impact site?” Ignis asked. 

“Uh, no. Not really.”

“Then we aren’t.”

Noctis still slept soundly on her shoulder as she and Gladio shared the book he read. “Turn the page won’t you?” she goaded him and he sighed. 

“You’re a fast reader,” he stated with a raised eyebrow. “Slow down a bit.”

“I would if you sped up,” she shot back with a grin. 

“How’s your shoulder by the way?” he motioned to Noctis lounging on her. “Need me to wake him up?”

“It’s fine, his hair kinda tickles though.” She wanted so bad to stretch her back though. “Hey, how likely would Ignis be open to brake-checking him?” she asked Gladio. 

“I’d rather not have His Highness grumpy when he wakes,” Ignis answered from the front. “Believe you me, it’s an unpleasant experience.”

“Seems like him,” she said as Noctis let out a light snore. “Hey, why don’t you guys come visit Midgar soon? The Upper Plate is a bit like Insomnia, if Insomnia didn’t have derelict slums right underneath. It’s not entirely safe, but I’m pretty sure you guys could handle yourselves.”

“Wouldn’t mind seeing the metal city,” said Gladio. “But honestly would love to see what’s underneath too.”

“Oh yeah, I’m sure you’d enjoy Sector 6,” she grinned. “That’s where the Honeybee Inn is. Best nightclub in all of Midgar! And best showgirls too,” she added in that last bit in a whisper so that only he could hear it. 

As their conversation filled with hypothetical adventures, the crescending peaks of jagged rocks came into view and they now saw the Disc of Cauthess in all its terra firma glory. 

“Wow, I could see the meteor from here,” Prompto leaned out with an excitement of a kid heading off to an amusement park. “You can see Titan’s arms too!”

“Bet he never skips leg day, huh?” Noctis groggily said as he yawned. 

“Yeah, you should take after his routine with your scrawny ass,” Gladio remarked and Noctis smacked his lips in annoyance. 

“Uhh guys? We got a problem,” Prompto said as he pointed at a large fortress surrounding the crater. It spanned at least thirty feet high and went around the circumference of the entrance. On the wall was a large logo of two dragons with their claws on a sword. The logo for the Empire of Niflheim. 

She could make it over that blockade easily but couldn’t say the same for the other. If only the Regalia could fly too.

“What’s the Empire doing here?” Noctis said with narrowed eyes. 

“Enacting on behalf of an accord that they’ve struck with Lucis,” Ignis told them. “They’re not here for personal gain, rather to keep an eye on Titan if he stirred. The events following after his awakening would be catastrophic to say the least.”

Noctis seemed surprised. “What? When did this happen?”

“Not too long ago,” Ignis tapped his finger against the wheel as they slowly pulled up to the entrance. He didn’t get a chance to explain as one of the soldiers posted on the gate looked down at them. Dressed in Niflheim armor and balancing a large rifle in his hands, he motioned for more of their comrades to see who approached their gates. The Regalia’s hood was down and so they could see who it was in the car; even through their heavily helmeted heads, she could see the glint of their eyes as they scanned through their faces. 

Gladio was tense. “If they open fire at us right now..” 

“We’d be sitting ducks,” Prompto shivered. 

“I wouldn’t let them,” Lady said, constantly watching them as they paced. They soon stopped and much to her and the boy’s surprise, called out her real name. 

“Is that you?” One of the soldiers followed up after getting her attention.

“Uh, yeah!” She said loud enough for them to hear.

The gate then started to pull open. “The chancellor sends his regards,” he said and they retreated back into their posts. Ignis eyed them suspiciously before changing the gear and driving inside. 

“Chancellor?” Gladio racked his brain. ”Isn’t that the guy who tried to attack Insomnia?” 

“Chancellor Ardyn Izunia,” Ignis informed them. “He held that title for 30 years in the Empire.”

“Don’t you mean..” Noctis stopped himself. “Nevermind.” His eyes glazed over slightly and she wondered if he remembered Ardyn announcing his true surname in front of him all those years ago. Or if his dad bothered to tell him after the fact. 

“I hope that dude isn’t here,” Prompto laughed nervously. “‘Cause that’d suck.”

Lady couldn’t help but agree in silence as they entered the crater and noticed the obvious rise in temperature. The heat rising off the meteor shards was so intense that she could see the air above being bent and shaped by the temp alone. Good thing she was wearing shorts.

“So they corralled the place to keep people out?” Gladio asked aloud as he searched the perimeter for any more soldiers. 

“It seems that way,” Ignis drove slowly. “Wouldn’t want anyone running to some misfortune here.” He was right, of course. This place was teeming with danger, and not the kind that came from wild animals as none had dared to stray too close to the god- but the kind that if you step in the wrong way somewhere, you could end up taking a tumble. 

“Hey, isn’t one of the royal arms here?” Prompto turned in his seat. “Aren’t we supposed to get them?”

Noctis appeared confused. “There is?”

Ignis sighed in exasperation as Prompto made a face. “Seriously? Even I caught that when Cor was talking to you before we left. Weren’t you listening?”

Gladio massaged his closed eyes. “Future king of Lucis everybody.”

“Hey!” Noctis frowned. “I just forgot.. temporarily.”

“Riiiight.”

When they drove as close to the crater’s heart as possible, Lady blinked when she saw movement amongst the rocky paths leading down. “Hey.. didn’t you say this place wasn’t supposed to have people?” She said as she saw a small head pop out from behind a small boulder.

“Yeah,” Gladio faced her as her gaze was locked onto the movement she saw. “Why?”

A small body followed and she saw that it belonged to a small girl wrapped in a light pink kimono. 

“...Then why’s there a little kid here?”

“What?” Gladio followed her gaze and so did the rest of them, but they failed to see what she did. “There’s no little kid.”

The girl turned to look at Lady and then back towards the path before skipping down without a care in the world. 

“Hey!” Lady vaulted over Gladio and the door to follow. “Wait!”

“Lady!” They all scrambled out of the car, following her down the path while making sure they didn’t step somewhere that could send them plummeting towards the bottom of the crater. 

Every part of her felt compelled to follow the little girl and she was alarmed when the little girl began to sing loudly as she traversed through the narrow stone paths that twisted and turned deeper into the crater. It was a song she used to know long ago.. Now that she thought about it, this kid looked familiar. Walls seemed to close in on them as they passed through and Lady was shocked that this little girl moved so swiftly down this path. 

The little girl then disappeared when they reached an open platform that was open to the sky, denoting what once was a crypt- and a rather large one at that. Broken arches of white stone marked the way towards the end with a large slanted container at the end, upon closer inspection she realized it was the tomb they spoke of earlier. The sarcophagus had a raised carving of a man holding a sword and donned in a complete set of armor with eyes shut fast. Everything about the stone man seemed immovable, save for the weapon he held in his hands. 

That sword looked rather familiar. She’d seen it before. 

The four Lucians finally caught up to her as she stared at the sarcophagus and wondered why it was here of all places. 

“Where’s this little girl you saw?” Gladio huffed. “I don’t see her anywhere.” 

Echoes of laughter played in her ears and she shrugged. “Sorry, must’ve been my imagination.”

He gave her a weird look as Prompto walked in front and snapped a quick photo. 

“C’mon Prompto,” Noctis gave him a look. “Isn’t that a bit.. I dunno, disrespectful?” 

“Iris said she wanted to see a photo of the tombs!” he said, completely ignoring Noctis’ plea to ensure his great-great-great-greaaat grandfather’s privacy. 

“Noct,” Ignis motioned for him to move towards the sarcophagus. “The Royal Arms.”

Noctis nodded and approached the tilted container. “It’s kind of a shame no one can take care of these tombs,” Gladio remarked, noting the way the crypt fell apart in the most inglorious of ways.

As she watched Noctis hold his hand out, she saw the sword disappear from its stony embrace and rise up in the air; spinning around slowly before aiming its end towards him and flying directly into his chest. The resulting impact made him take a step backwards as light erupted from him and she saw the sword now float around Noctis in a circle as soul shards twinkled and glistened. 

Prompto was in awe. “Whose tomb is this again?” 

Lady watched the sword slowly disappear and return back to the heir before realizing why it looked so familiar. 

“It belonged to the Founder King,” Ignis started. 

“Somnus Lucis Caelum,” both him and her said at the same time. Gladio, Prompto, and Ignis looked at her with surprise. 

“What?” She chuckled nervously. “Can’t study up on my history a bit?” Swallowing hard, she thought about the sword Noctis had just obtained. She saw it before because there was a counterpart that she was all too familiar with- because it belonged to Ardyn. 

Although identical, his was red. She was so sure those two swords must’ve been forged at the same time, when both brothers were still living together side-by-side. What a shame that the two became separated. One revered and respected by many generations to come while the other was lost to time and branded only in darkness.

“Titan’s next,” Noctis flexed his fingers and felt his chest where the spectral sword pierced him. “But how do we get down there?” 

As if the very universe heard his plea, the ground beneath them began to shake violently. 

“Wo-woah!” Prompto secured his camera. “An earthquake?! Now?!”

“Get to safely! Quickly!” Ignis yelled at everyone and motioned for them to retrace their steps back towards a more secure spot. All four of them did so without hesitation, save for Lady who held her head in her hand. 

“Lady!!” They called her but she couldn’t hear them over the migraine that ripped through her skull like the earthquake that shattered the surrounding lands. She flinched when the headache got worse and she felt her knees go weak as she tried to force herself to take a step back. 

“Gods...” she hissed as the pain burned the inside of her mind. “Why now..?” Taking another step back, the ground suddenly gave way underneath her and she glanced down to see the remaining floors of the crypt fall quickly into ruin. It sent her plummeting down and as she was about to summon her wings, another headache hit her and made her cry out in surprise- making her fall. 

As her body slammed into the ground, she rolled over a cliff and slid all the way down. She expected another painful impact but instead found an arm to be wrapped fast around her waist. She looked up to see Noctis holding her up with his sword sticking into the cliffside. 

“You okay?!” He panted. 

“I’m fine..” she held onto him and pushed her face into his chest to try and diminish the throbbing she felt in her forehead. “Thank you.”

“Hold on tight,” he said as he placed his boots on the wall and in one uniform movement, took out his sword and flung it towards the ground below them; allowing them to warp-strike safely as he caught her in his arms and set her down. “What happened?”

“Headache,” she stated with a half-hearted smile. “Sorry, Noct. I owe you.”

“You sure do,” he said as he let out a light laugh that made her feel slightly better. 

“Heyyy!!” Prompto’s voice carried down below and they both looked up to see the blond waving. “You both okay??”

“We’re fine!!” Lady yelled back. “We’re going on ahead to Titan. You guys find another way down!!” 

“Watch yourselves down there,” Ignis said loudly and Noctis gave him a thumbs up before helping her up. 

“Can you walk?”

“Even if I can’t walk, I could still fly,” she grinned and leaned into Noctis for support. “Definitely want a nice hot shower after this.”

“A quiet fishing trip for me,” he added as they both walked down the only path available to them. 

She snorted, “King Regis doesn’t even like fishing, how did you get into it?”

“Long story,” he sighed. “I was a lonely kid, what can I say?”

“You and me both.”

They stopped when they had to get on their knees to get through a crawlspace that made them both crouch down. Noctis let her go first and she squeezed through while on all fours, suffice to say that in this enclosed space- they were both equally hot. He was tempted to take off his jacket, but she beat him to the punch and was already sliding off hers to wrap around her waist to reveal a tactical tank top made for exploring. It hugged tightly to her torso and left little to the imagination as to how her body curved underneath her clothes. He quickly took his eyes away from her top and somehow made it down to her legs, where she had a pouch strapped to her thigh and squeezed the skin there tightly. 

Instead of the black straps that circumferenced her leg, he imagined his fingers gripping them instead and thought of how soft they would feel. Sweat made her thighs glisten and when she moved upwards, he could see her ass press firm against the shorts she wore and he gulped, realizing how dry his mouth became. 

He’d do anything for a drink of water right now. 

“Almost there,” she told him as she finally made it out of the crawlspace and dusted off her knees. “This really sucks. You wanna go first this time?” She said as she pointed to another crawlspace that was reasonably taller than the last one. 

“Sure,” he walked ahead. 

“How do you feel with the royal arms? Tired?” 

“Uh, kinda. I’ll probably sleep in later tomorrow.”

“Hah! Later than usual?” 

“Yup.”

“Shame, was looking forward to co-op with you tonight.”

“I’ll consider staying up tonight. Just for you.”

“Oh thank you, Your Highness.”

They both stopped when another earthquake shook beneath them. Lady held onto Noctis as he did to her, waiting for the activity to pass. When it died down, they both continued on and took caution not to hit their heads on the rock. Upon exiting, they took a deep breath when they realized that their path suddenly dropped down below with a height that was about half the size of the Citadel. Another aftershock hit them and broke away the remaining floor on the bottom to reveal more distance.  _ Never mind _ , she thought. Make that about three quarters of the Citadel.

“Shit,” she muttered. “How are you with heights?” 

“Just about the same as everyone else, I guess,” he pointed to a ridge that looked almost paper thin. “We gotta cross that.”

“I can just carry you across,” she offered as a rock fell from an overhead arch and tumbled down with a crash. 

“You might get hit with a rock then we’d both be screwed.”

“Fine, let’s go,” she walked ahead and hugged the wall with Noctis following her lead. Crossing carefully, she kept looking back to make sure he was okay before turning her attention back to the ridge in front of her. Everyone knew it was sort of an unspoken rule to never look down when at a considerable height, but she did so anyways and let out a low whistle when the bottom appeared to be blurred and spoke to the distance of the fall. 

Noctis took another step and she heard the parh give way underneath him. She reacted just in time as he slipped down with her hand wrapped around his to catch him. He looked up as she smiled down at him. “Come here often?” she said as he exhaled nasally. 

“Oh definitely,” he spoke as she pulled him back up. “This place  _ rocks _ .”

She bit back the urge to laugh loudly, scared that the noise might disturb more of the environment. Her foot finally landed on solid ground and she held her hand out to pull Noctis with her. “Almost there, don’t run out of breath on me.”

“I thought princes were supposed to leave girls breathless,” he panted. “Not the other way around.”

“Only for the charming ones,” she winked. 

It wasn’t long till they reached the end of their trip when she saw the bottom of the large meteor. Stone columns protruded from the spherical objects and contained glowing blue veins that stood out against the bright red that tipped some of the blackened rocks around them. These formations have been on fire for millenia, creating a sort of volcanic texture that was sure to burn long after they were gone. Underneath the meteor was a gigantic figure hunched over on his knees, his large arms was holding up the projectile from space and she even saw how some of the meteorites were embedded deep into his face- rendering his right eye useless. 

White, chalk-like textures crossed his body in linear lines and contrasted with his naturally gray skin. If anyone were to stumble upon this sight, they would’ve assumed they were looking at a large rock with strange lines on it. Until the rock moved and showed its humanoid face and fangs that stuck out beyond his dark lips. 

As Titan moved, the meteor settled on his shoulders and the loose parts crumbled around his shoulders and fell to the ground. To him they were pebbles, but to Noctis and Lady, they were huge boulders that made them lose their balance. 

A ghost of a laugh echoed in her ears and it was the same one she heard earlier. Then, a small figure rushed past her legs and towards the raised stone circle that was directly in front of Titan’s hulking body. Lady looked to Noctis and saw that he was still looking up at the Astral as opposed to the child and that confirmed what she thought earlier. It was just an illusion of the same nature that started ever since she started making these covenants. 

As with every illusion she’s experienced thus far, it was related to her past. 

Standing close to the girl, she watched the small face turn to her and she exhaled slowly when she realized it was her, aged just around seven years old. 

Little Lady smiled at her older self and turned around to wave at Titan and raise her hands to cup her mouth to amplify her small voice. “ _ Mr. Mountain!! Let’s play again!! _ ” She yelled and waved again to try and get the sleeping giant’s attention.  _ “Hellooo!” _

Blinking, Lady had a moment of surrealism as she watched her younger self call upon the god with such familiarity. Reaching forward to grip her shoulder, she flinched when the small body turned to clusters of light just before she could touch her. Behind her, she heard Noctis approach and watched as he moved through the light that he failed to notice. 

With his head tilted back just to take in the sight in front of him, he put a hand on his hip. “Is he up?” Noctis said quietly and after he said that, Titan’s one good eye opened and glared at them in an unsettling shade of orange. 

“He is now,” she muttered and pulled him back. 

Titan rose his head and their heads were forced to tilt back more as he sat up straighter. His eye stared directly at Lady and she felt frozen to her spot as his judgement passed by her. A cold breeze suddenly rushed between them and almost took their breath away as a flash of white and blue surrounded them in icy coils. 

“What the hell happened?” Noctis looked at the billowing mists that came from the large cloud of snow that appeared out of nowhere. Lady immediately began looking around and saw a figure in black appear. “Gentiana,” he squinted. “What are you doing here?” 

Gentiana raised a finger to her lips and passed by Lady, brushing her hair carefully from her face. Without another word, the Messenger’s body filled with light and the dark clothes fell away to reveal skin that was pale as snow; her dark hair turned silver and speckled with white crystals as her feet left the ground and floated up towards Titan. 

“Gentiana’s.. the Glacian?” Noctis said in disbelief.

“Yeah,” she muttered. 

“How did you-“

“It’s a long story, Noct.”

Shiva stopped, hovering directly in front of Titan and flew close to his ear to whisper something. From her closed fist, she uncurled her fingers and a red butterfly appeared in her palm- fluttering towards the Archaean’s face. His eye followed it as it hovered there for a moment before promptly disappearing, then both he and Shiva looked down at Lady and spoke briefly to each other in their ancient tongue. Together they sounded like a blizzard beating against a mountain. 

“Guysss!” Prompto slid down a hill, dust kicking up beneath his boots as he jogged toward them with Gladio and Ignis in tow. “Thank gods we caught up!”

Gladio looked up to see Shiva talking to Titan and raised a brow. “What the hell, why is she here? Is she asking him something?”

Lady tuned in to their conversation as best she could. “She’s not asking. She’s telling.”

Though most of the Astral’s conversations were held in hushed tones, with Shiva’s sounding like snow falling on grass and Titan’s like stones rolling into a stream- she could pick up on some words. Mainly the ones that said: ‘daughter’ and ‘power’.

“What are they saying?” Prompto asked her. 

“Uh,” Lady tried to find out how to explain that the Astrals were talking about her without sounding like a self-important idiot. “I think-“

Titan’s gravelly voice then commanded her to look up as one of his hands left the meteor again and came flying down towards them. 

“Here he comes, watch out!” Gladio barked as the hand came closer, revealing it’s true size as it intended to squash them like a bug. Before it came into contact though, something red erupted from her and blinded them temporarily. Titan let out a low grunt as they lowered their arms from their eyes to see a flock of red butterflies swarm around them and make the giant Astral retract his hand. 

They looked in awe as the butterflies fluttered around them and surrounded them with a warm, red glow. Holding out her hand, one of them landed on her finger and wiggled it’s antenna appreciatively. It’s wings seemed to be made of rubies and veined with onyx and seemingly dripping with powerful magic. With one last flutter of its wings, Lady watched the butterflies disappear around them and turned her head up to face Titan. Shiva was now gone from Titan’s ear and she felt something cold course through her veins as electricity webbed between her fingers. 

Shiva’s voice echoed in her ear.  _ “The Archaean’s trial will not be trivial for the daughter. But do not be afraid, for she does not travel alone.” _

She nodded. She understood. 

When Titan reared up to make another hit, she held her hand out as her sword came to her aid and when she took a step forward- her body illuminated brightly before dying down and revealing an immaculate set of silver armor. 

“We’re not gonna get so lucky next time,” she told them as she gripped her weapon. “Let’s get this done.”

“I got your back,” Noctis stood beside her and summoned his newly acquired sword to hand. 

Titan’s hand came towards them again and this time she was ready. Wings unfurled behind her as she bent her knees before launching herself at his open palm and digging her sword into the coarse surface. Taking it out, she let it drag across his skin as she ran up the width of his arm and felt her sword combat against the hard rock that composed his body. It was then that another memory of hers was unlocked. She had done this before. 

Except she was much, much smaller. Back then she thought she was playing on an unusually large mountain that suddenly found its spot near her home. 

But mountains didn’t have eyes. Nor did they breathe. 

Lady jumped when she reached his shoulder and flew towards his face, embedding her sword into the shards erupting from the right side. She made sure to wait till his pupils focused solely on her before speaking. 

“Hey,” she said loudly over the sound of the Lucians fighting below. “Remember me?” She leaned closer in and dug her sword further in. “Because I remember you.. ‘Mr. Mountain.’” 

Unsheathing her sword from what was his eye socket, she pushed herself off of his face to execute a backflip as she held her weapon up skyward. Dark clouds formed overhead that quickly replaced the clear skies that once spanned over Duscae. Thunder roared in the distance and came in quick as lightning traveled between the curves of the clouds and met at a point right on top of her. They joined together from a web of lightning before striking down and meeting the tip of her sword, imbuing it with power before her wings thrusted her downwards and right into the wrist of the arm attacking Noctis and Gladio. 

Upon impact, she cracked the wrist and tore it open halfway as Titan let out a roar behind her that made her ears ring. Noctis and Gladio winced and covered their ears too, so she looked to Gladio and motioned at the wrist. He nodded, understanding what she wanted as he raised his greatsword over his shoulder; with a spin to build momentum, he brought it down and took off the rest of Titan’s hand. 

With another bellowing howl, the meteor began to slip from his shoulder and threatened to topple over and crash. 

Thinking fast, she grabbed Ignis. “Do you have any ice spells on you?” In response, he held up two spherical orbs. Pointing to where the meteor was going to hit the ground, she quickly told him her plan. “Aim those over there!”

Taking off, she flew as fast as she could as Ignis threw the orbs to the spot she indicated. They broke instantly when they hit ground and erupted into a field of ice that she aimed to use for her advantage. Taking the residual mana they left behind, she channeled the Glacian’s power and watched as large columns of solid ice formed from the ground and met the meteor before it could fall. She let out a breath of relief, but she knew that this was only a temporary fix. They would need to finish this fight before this ice couldn’t hold under the intense heat of the crater. 

Now untethered from the meteor, Titan was given free movement and used it entirely to his advantage. Prompto jumped up as Titan’s hand grazed beneath him, following behind, Ignis vaulted over the incoming fingers as a spear materialized in his hands. 

“Prompto!” Ignis called. “I’ll require assistance.”

“You got it!” The marksman had a gun in each hand and waited until Ignis held his spear horizontally before jumping squarely on it to be launched into the air. Prompto’s guns then combined as he made the motion of holding something larger as a rifle appeared in their stead. Squaring his shoulders, he knelt into the rifle and fired the shots that made a perfect perforated line that appeared on Titan’s remaining arm. 

Ignis took a step back and threw another set of ice spells that made its home in the newly formed holes, expanding and cracking with the stones around it groaning in response. 

“That’s our cue, huh?” Noctis yelled to Gladio.

“That’s  _ my _ cue, actually,” Gladio put a hand on Noctis’ shoulder to pull him back. 

“And let you show me up? No thanks,” Noctis ducked under and launched his sword into the air as his body disappeared. Re-materializing to wrap his hand around the hilt mid-air and launching it again, this time towards the ice that made its home within Titans’ arm. With a grunt of effort, Noctis warped and cracked the giant’s arm with ease. 

“Nice one, Noct!” Gladio threw him a thumbs up. 

“All in a days’ work!” Noctis grinned. 

Lady watched the boys from afar in admiration. There was no doubt about it. They grew stronger these past few years. 

But the fight wasn’t over yet and she had to focus. The other arm wasn’t lobbed off yet. Something she could easily remedy. Flying upwards, she mimicked Noctis’ attack and finished off the rest. Watching the limb crumble off like dust, Titan let out another pained roar and was forced on his knee. Coming down, she took off her helmet and tossed it aside as she looked up at the giant who glared down at her. 

“Your power, hand it over!!”

Titan growled and spoke, his voice booming and rumbling in the language of the Hexatheon, of the Six.  _ “You are strong, but even at this level you cannot hope to pass up the dragon.” _

“That’s why I’m forging the pact with any that I can!” She yelled, her vocal cords vibrating intensely. It hurt to be talking at this level, but she had to if he could even hope to hear her. “Once more, I’m not going to ask again!”

Titan exhaled, two plumes of smoke exiting his nostrils.  _ “You’ve grown. Do not fail, there will be no second chances.” _

“Wasn’t planning to, so don’t worry,” she muttered that bit under her breath and held her hand up. From Titan’s chest came a light that consumed him whole and rendered his once solid form to be translucent. Disappearing into clusters of light, they gathered before forming one large group and descended upon her. The guys squinted and blocked their eyes as Lady took in the Archaean’s power. 

On her chest, below a mark of ice and a mark of lightning, deposited a new one that made her body feel heavy- the mark of earth. 

The light died down and she brought her hand up to feel the new marking, it felt rough to the touch and she could feel Titan’s power surging through her- hardening her sinews with the strength he carried for millenia. 

She exhaled after the effect dissipated and her head began to throb painfully. What came after the forging the covenant was fatigue.  _ Extreme _ fatigue. 

Prompto ran beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. “Lady, you okay?” 

“I’m fine,” she tried to smile but winced when the pain from her head traveled to her chest. The sound of cracking ice got her attention and she held her breath when all the fissures in the ground formed by their fighting began to fill with lava. It rose up in bubbling spurts and began chipping away at the ice spells they carelessly tossed around the crater. It wouldn’t take long for that lava to reach them if they didn’t get a move on- that’s if the meteor didn’t fall first and send them crashing into the searing magma. 

But of course things didn’t go her way and she saw the magic of the ice wane and the meteor slowly break through. 

“How do we get out of here?” Noctis asked. 

Lady tried to ignore the pain in her chest, but it felt like shards of stone were being repeatedly stabbed into her aorta. “I-“ she stopped to cough and felt dust climbing up her throat. Prompto rubbed her back in an attempt to make her feel better and she tapped his arm appreciatively. Standing back, she let out a huff of air, “I can try to fly us out of here.”

“You really think you’re in any condition to fly? Let alone carry all four of us?” Gladio asked her. 

“Well whatever options we have- it’s best we decide quick,” Ignis said as he watched the magma explode and slowly fill the crater. 

Her wings fluttered and she held onto Prompto’s hand. “Don’t worry,” she wheezed. “I can-“ The stabbing from her heart moved on and struck her in both legs, immobilizing her completely and making her drop to her knees. 

Prompto caught her and held her up as he knelt beside her. He looked up at the others with a frantic expression, “Guys, what do we do?!”

“Go,” she wheezed, biting down her lip when an invisible shard seemed to grow from her bone and pierce upward. “You guys go, I’ll find my own way out..!”

“No way,” Noctis frowned. “We’re getting out,  _ together _ .”

“It’s getting hot,” Gladio searched for a way out through the terrain but smacked his lips when he didn’t find an obvious way out that could serve as a makeshift staircase, though there was one that allowed them to climb up. “Here, I can carry you.” Another blast burst behind them, taking away the path he saw and he growled. “Nevermind, that way is bust.”

It was then that a large airship appeared over the mountainous ridges and Prompto squinted to get a better look. “Imperials above us!” He gasped when he realized whose emblem it was emblazoned on the side. It descended down and the backway of the ship lowered as a lone figure came into view. 

Lady held her breath when she recognized that head of dark magenta hair. 

“Well, you look to be in need of some assistance!” Ardyn stepped out and looked below with a hand to shield his eyes in a totally unnecessary manner. 

“Great,” Gladio stood protectively in front of them. “Just what we needed.”

“But our salvation might’ve just appeared,” Ignis reminded him. 

“I don’t trust him one bit,” Noctis narrowed his eyes. 

“We should hurry.” Prompto looked down at Lady whose eyes fluttered and teetered on the edge to closing completely. Her armor disappeared and left her regular clothes to reveal her skin to the offending elements. 

“It occurs to me I never formally introduced myself,” Ardyn took off his fedora and held it to his chest before bowing his head. Lady saw Noctis tighten his fist and she wanted to ask him if he knew- knew who this man really was. None of the others had seen him before, it was only him that caught a glimpse of Ardyn before he died in her arms. If anything, Noctis should know by now that this man wasn’t what he appeared. After all, no one could’ve walked away from being disintegrated into dust like he did prior just to appear hale and hearty three years later. 

Before the ship could land completely on the trembling ground, a flash of red appeared in Ardyn’s hand and revealed to be his blade- similar in structure as his brother’s. 

Noctis let out a shaky exhale. “What-?” 

Arching his arm back, Ardyn flung his sword down below and appeared in a cluster of red crystals in a similar fashion to Noctis’ warp strike, taking everyone- except for Lady- in surprise. “Your carriage awaits,” Ardyn held a hand out towards her and she bit on her lip, glaring up at him. 

Gladio walked over and squared his shoulders as he faced him. “We can carry her ourselves.”

“Suit yourselves,” he shrugged and smiled. “Don’t fall behind now, wouldn’t want to experience being burned alive now, would we?”

Ignis watched Ardyn the whole way up to the ship, only taking his eyes off of him when Lady groaned and clutched onto Gladio who carried her onto the ship. Both him and Ignis walked side-by-side, giving each other non-vocal confirmation that let them know that this man wasn’t someone to take their attention off of. Boarding the ship, Gladio set her down and had her propped up in his arms as she struggled to catch her breath. 

With every inhale she took, she felt as if whatever shards embedded into her lungs pierced her more and with every exhale she choked on felt like dust from a star that was still burning. 

“How bad is it?” Gladio asked her in a hush tone. 

“On a scale of one to ten?” Her voice was a little raspy. “Maybe about a-” she paused to cough into her elbow, “-a five.”

“Hang in there.”

She smiled. “Do I have a choice?”

Ignis and Noctis both silently stared at Ardyn while Prompto sat nervously in between them, going from looking at her to Ardyn to her again. 

Ardyn noticed their stares and turned to them. “Perhaps a group picture is in order? To preserve such a momentous occasion.” 

“Like hell,” Noctis growled as he stood up to face him. 

Ardyn tutted. “His Highness should smile more and refrain from frowning so much. It ages you.”

His voice lowered. “Just who are you anyways?” 

“Oh goodness me! Has the great King Regis failed to notify his own son? Or is the next in line so truly ignorant? My, how droll!” Ardyn placed his hand over his chest and widened his eyes theatrically. He then lowered his own voice, dangerous and seething as he stepped forward to close the distance between them. “Are you sure you want to learn the truth?”

Lady saw Noctis’ hand tighten until his knuckles went white and she forced herself up and between them before he had a chance to draw his sword. “Stop,” she warned him, holding her hand against his chest. “Trust me, you don’t want to do this.”

Noctis didn’t take his eyes off of Ardyn. “Why are you protecting him?”

“I’m not protecting him,” she buried her fingers into his shirt and shook him. “I’m protecting  _ you _ !” His blue eyes then rested on hers in confusion and she shook her head. “Just calm down. Please.”

Noctis’ anger rode into a high before dying down and leaving him defeated. Stepping back, he slumped against the wall with crossed arms and found interest in a speck of dirt on his shoe. She relaxed her shoulders when it seemed like he wouldn’t be trying that again and when she turned around, she was face-to-face with Ardyn. 

He grabbed her face roughly and made the others start toward him until she raised a hand to stop them. It was her way of telling the Lucians: ‘Let him do what he wants’ without having to speak such embarrassing words aloud. 

She knew that Ardyn could tear through them right now if he wanted. Leaving their bodies to roll out of the back of this airship on a whim. Bahamut couldn’t defeat this man nor keep him dead, what made them think they could do what a god couldn’t?

His amber eyes raked over her chest and saw the newly acquired mark lined up with the other two. He smiled, “That’s thrice you owe me, my dear.”

*******

Onna stopped before a door, knocking on it and smiled when Terra opened it for her. “Good evening,” she greeted him before walking past. “I trust everything is well here?”

“Yeah..” he said but wasn’t so sure himself. He eyed her carefully, trying to discern what truly happened last night but found no easy answer. “They’ll be headed back to our wor-” he stopped when she turned around with raised eyebrows. One of the most significant details of being a Keyblade Wielder was to keep order by restraining the knowledge that other worlds existed, but he hadn’t been doing a good job on it. 

Besides, he didn’t see the point. There were some individuals in this land that knew of their existences, but these people were mostly those of high standing or possessors of great power. 

“Back to your world, is it?” She finished for him. “Wonderful. At least he won’t be infringing on our territory.”

He sighed in relief when he realized she was one of those privileged people. “Yeah, but I’ll be staying for a while. For.. reasons.”

She let out a light laugh when she knew what his ‘reasons’ were. “Have you been practicing your dancing?”

His face turned slightly red. “I..”

“I’ll take that as a no then, will you excuse me?” she bowed her head and turned to continue on from the antechamber into the room beyond. 

A large room with three tall windows on one side opened itself up to her. In the middle was a square table with a chessboard on it with both sides missing a considerable amount of soldiers from their black and white army. At that point, she noted, it could’ve been anyone’s game. 

Standing near the middle window were the figures of two men, one clad in white while the other was clad in black. The one in white turned first to greet her.

“Master Eraqus,” she nodded, then saw the one in black turn too. “Master Xehanort.” Approaching them, she held her head up high and set her steely gaze to the man on the left. “Have you considered my third option?”

“It’s not as if I have much choice in the matter,” he folded his hands behind his back, taking up the image of a feeble old man. “You have not left me with much room for delegation.”

“It’s how I do things,” she responded tritely. “I trust you find it more favorable than the other’s I’ve put for consideration.”

He was quiet at first. “...It was.”

She turned to the other man, noting how the moonlight made his scarred face appear almost silver. “Your wards are required for this third option, as well as their cooperation. I trust you can make that happen?” 

“It’s not as if you need to ask, they would be willing to regardless,” said Eraqus, making her smile approvingly. 

“A fight such as yours shouldn’t be one of my concern,” Xehanort grimaced, dropping his facade of feebleness for a second. “Wars are trivial, it’s only the outcome that matters.”

“I know that very well,” she returned her attention to him. “But it seems you wasted too much time gazing at the moon to see the problem that’s right below your feet. This fight isn’t for me alone, Master Xehanort. I assure you, it’s just as much yours as it is mine.”

This piqued his interest. “Just how is that?”

“You fight to cleanse this land in hopes to remake this world, but the prey I seek will see to it that all evidence of his corruption is obliterated. This world and the ones surrounding it. Your souls- your  _ hearts  _ will cease to exist and will never be remembered or recognized. For a man priding himself on prestige, surely you wouldn’t want that?” She watched him for his reaction, but his face didn’t betray any emotion. 

“Who is this prey you seek?” 

“A dragon,” her lips tightened into a thin smile. “A god.”

“What makes you think you’d be able to take on the Draconian?” Xehanort heard stories of the Six and once thought of trying to obtain their power. But soon proved impossible the more he looked into it. Because the gods did not possess the one thing he could’ve used to influence their actions. 

“By preparation.”

“Are you prepared to sacrifice anything to see his demise?”

Her eyes darkened. “I’ve already sacrificed much. But to see him gone, I would give much more.”

“It seems your revenge means more to you than your own daughter,” he smiled when he saw her look visibly irritated. He had found her weak spot. 

“Do not mistake me,” she stepped closer to him and he found that she towered tall with the combination of her sandals and posture. “For my own daughter, I would murder the world. Everything I do, it is for her.”

Eraqus was alarmed at her behavior, seething with hate and years of begrudgement. “Terra speaks so highly of you,” he told her. “That surely your heart must be as full of light as your daughter’s.. He may be wrong.”

Onna’s eyes flashed red in color. “Darkness is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s a crutch, a tool and nothing more.” She moved her eyes slowly to Eraqus, “You act as if being contained with light is inherently a good thing. It seems no one in this castle can move freely from light or darkness, instead you are stuck to either side like flies on honey. It’s a shame really.” She tilted her head at him, “Surely one as wise as you must know that everything has a balance, and if you tip the scale, the balance topples.”

Relaxing her shoulders, she stepped back. “Goodnight, gentlemen. I look forward to your cooperation.” She stopped by the chessboard, eyeing the pieces before reaching down to make a move. With the pawn in hand, she moved it up to E7, a spot diagonal from the king piece, threatening him with capture. Giving them one last look, she exited the room. 

*******

“Well.. at least he gave us the car back too,” Prompto was slumped in his chair. 

“We should check if he put some tracker on it,” Gladio grumbled and held his arm, flexing his fingers. “His timing was suspect as hell.” 

“At least it’s behind us now,” Ignis reminded him. “While we’re out here we should look into tracking down the rest of the Royal Arms.”

Noctis remained silent, forking his piece of food that he didn’t even think to put in his mouth yet. He was regrettably still in a sour mood. Lady sat beside him quietly as they all decided to recuperate back in Lestallum after Ardyn dropped them off and disappeared. Of course, she knew better. 

Taking a sip of her chilled wine, she looked over at the cafe across from theirs and saw a man with shortly cropped blond hair meet her eyes. Then, when a crowd passed by and temporarily blocked him from her view, she saw that blond hair turn dark magenta with the rest of his visage changing drastically. 

Ardyn raised his own cup, filled with dark red wine, to toast her before taking a tentative sip. 

When the others weren’t looking, she raised her cup to him and took a drink as well. 


	24. XXIV

“Can you move your arms?”

“This isn’t necessary.”

“I won’t ask a third time: can you move your arms?”

Lady flexed her arms and bothered to even make a show of how easy the movement was to which Onna sighed. 

“Now move your legs,” she instructed as Lady visibly bristled. Checking off her list, Onna read the things aloud that her daughter should’ve been able to perform. “Cerebral functions, good. Upper extremities, good…” she watched as Lady got up and promptly tripped over herself, gripping onto the nearby examination table to regain balance. “Lower extremities.. unacceptable.”

“Shit!” Lady cried as her legs gave out below her. 

“Language,” Onna tutted, swiftly pulling her back up. “You need rest today. Titan won’t be an easy adjustment to make. Leviathan will be even tougher.”

“Oh yeah?” Lady chuckled bitterly as she propped her legs up onto the table. “Is it because of the Tidemother’s insurmountable hate for all humankind?”

“Just so,” Onna stepped to the side as Even brought her a glass of water and medicine. 

“Ahem,” the older man handed her the glass as Lady took it. “If you don’t mind.. I’ll be asking some personal questions concerning your health.” He eyed Onna and then her and Lady raised her eyebrows. 

“She’s my mom, you can ask whatever,” she said as she popped the medicine in her mouth and began drinking the water. 

“Alright,” Even replied. “Concerning your reproductive health, how many sexual endeavors have you partook in since your resurrection?”

The sound of her choking on her water was all that they heard and she looked at them with widened eyes and liquid dribbling down her chin. “Wh-what does that have to do with anything?!” 

Onna tilted her head. “Are you struggling with the question, dearest daughter?”

“No, no, of course not. It’s just-“ she even saw Ienzo flinch at the question and threw her a nervous glance before burying his head back into his work. 

“You realize that I have no control over your sex life, right?” Onna smiled at her, a genuine one. “I just want your partner.. or partners, whether it be he or she, to respect you.” Reaching over to brush her daughter’s hair away from her face, she stood back, “You’ll rest today. I won’t be having any arguments over this.”

“But what about Noctis and the others?”

“The prince and his retinue will be perfectly fine,” her mother replied. “I trust Regis raised a capable heir.” 

Lady sighed. “Fine. Have it your way.”

*******

“I can’t believe I’m grounded,” Lady groaned, her chin on the table with a hot cup of tea Ienzo prepared for her steaming in front. “Ughhh, I should be out there getting Leviathan!” 

“Is it truly that terrible?” Rould asked her as he held up a fan of cards in his hand, prompting her to sit upright and take her turn. “You should consider taking breaks more often.”

“Yeah. No offense, babe, but your mom doesn’t seem the type to have her decisions being retracted,” Xigbar patted her back. 

“You’re not kidding,” she sighed. “You know my dad never bothered arguing with her?” Taking a card from the center pile sitting between her and Rould. Even after regaining his heart, his time spent as a gambler of fate as Luxord passed onto this life as well. He taught her the basics of this game and offered to play a few rounds with her, an offer she soon came to regret as she was losing. Badly. Thankfully there were no true stakes, just her pride that was already dwindling. 

“I can see why,” Riku said. “How’re you feeling?” 

“Honestly? Like I got rocks in my lungs.”

“That can’t be normal.”

“That’s because it’s not.”

Rould palmed his cards before laying them flat on the table to reveal a royal flush, eliciting a frustrated exhale from her nostrils. 

“Looks like that’s my game,” Rould grinned. 

“Again,” she was half in mind to roll her eyes. “Congratulations.” 

As he began stacking up the cards in his hand, she frowned when she spotted something sticking out near the sleeve of his tailored suit jacket. Grabbing his hand, she lifted it up eye-level and gasped loudly. 

“Hang on…” She plucked the card hiding in his sleeve. “Unbelievable. You’ve been cheating this whole time!” 

“Well luckily we weren’t giving away anything valuable, yes?” He replied in that suave voice that made it impossible to be mad at him for long. 

“Took you long enough to notice,” Xigbar said behind her and she turned to frown at him. 

“So you’re an accomplice? When did you know?” 

“Rould always cheats at games,” he said in a dry tone, hinting that he also fell victim to his games once or twice. 

“I do not,” Rould stated firmly. “I believe in fair games…” When she gave him an incredulous look, he relented, “But there’s much fun to be had in teasing you, my dear lady.”

“I hate all of you.” She placed her palms on the table and tried pushing herself up again but only felt the sharp pain in her thighs and shin. With a defeated grunt, she propped herself back down onto the chair. “This blows,” she muttered loudly. “I’m way too old to be grounded.”

“I would love to be grounded by your mom,” Xigbar gave a low whistle. “She’s the textbook definition of a MILF.”

“Yes,” Rould agreed. “She is a fine woman.”

She made a face. “Gross. Don’t say such blasphemous things in front of me.”

“What?” Xigbar raised his arms up in defense. “That just means you’ll look that good too when you’re older. And with a kid.”

“Her skin is immaculate as well,” the gambler added. 

Lady looked ready to hurl her steaming mug at him. “Shut. Up.”

“Aw, is someone jealous?” Xigbar made a pouty face and she smacked her lips. 

“No, I just don’t like someone telling me my mom’s a MILF!”

“Do you agree?” Xigbar ignored her and asked Riku who looked at him from his phone with a grimace. 

“Don’t drag me into this,” the Keyblade Wielder responded. 

Sora looked up from his phone as well. “What’s a MILF?” 

Riku cleared his throat and looked to his friend, wide-eyed and innocent. Xigbar was about to explain but she cut him to the chase. “Uhhh, it’s a Tenebraen dessert. Short for mille-feuille and consists of many layers of pastry crust and cream filling!” 

Sora had his mouth shaped into a circle of awe as he nodded his head slowly. She let out a sigh of relief as Riku tossed her a non-verbal ‘thank you’ while Xigbar and Rould snickered. Glaring at him, they all shared one common sentiment: crisis averted. 

Picking up her tea, she took a sip. 

“Sounds really yummy,” said Sora. “I’d love to eat a MILF.”

She promptly choked on it and sputtered with hot tea splashing onto her face and soaking her eyes. 

“I need to leave,” she wheezed, wiping her nose as Xigbar himself was choking with laughter and Riku’s face was as red as a tomato. Rould shuffled through his deck of cards, acting as if this sort of conversation with Sora was normal. “I think that took 4 years from my life.” Sending a text from her phone, it wasn’t long until Roxas appeared at the door with a confused look. 

“You called?” He asked. 

“I texted,” she corrected him and held her hand towards him. “Help me up, I can’t walk by myself.”

“You serious?”

“C’moonnn. You’ll be my pack chocobo, isn’t that exciting?” 

“No way, that’s dumb. I’m not a chocobo.”

“Huh, you have the hair to be one.”

Roxas sighed and helped her up, bending down for her to climb on in piggy-back fashion. He looked over to Sora who smiled at him. “Hey Rox, ever heard of a MILF?” 

His blond counterpart frowned and looked to Riku and Xigbar then her in confusion. “Uh, yeah?”

“Don’t they sound yummy?” 

Lady leaned over to whisper in his ear. “We told him it was a dessert, just roll with it.”

Nodding, Roxas looked to Sora. “Yeah, they’re really good. Especially if they have a lot of cream inside,” he said with the most straight-laced face ever. Adjusting his arms to hook under her legs, the two of them exited. “Pure of heart, but dumb of ass,” he muttered while her arms wrapped around his neck to secure herself. 

“Hey,” Roxas called her and she shifted her body to have her chin on his shoulder. 

“What’s up?”

He slowly worked up the courage to ask her. “What’s your opinion on.. sex?” The embarrassment flooded inside of him and he was thankful she couldn’t see his entire face. 

“It’s fine?” She seemed confused. “Why are you asking?”

No particular reason was what he wanted to say. Yet thoughts of hearing her giving head while he masturbated to the sounds filled his mind and made him swallow. “Is it the same thing as love?”

Her arms wrapped around him tighter as she thought about her answer. “Sometimes, yeah. But sometimes it’s also two separate things.”

He adjusted her arms around her legs. “How so?”

“Because Rox,” she said it with such a tone that told him this was already something he should have known. Pressing her lips close to his ear, he could feel the air breeze past his skin there. “Sex is easy, love is hard.”

*******

Terra found his way to the lab through the twisting corridors and seemingly endless halls, hoping to catch Lady. But when he finally got there, he was met with Ienzo’s sympathetic look. 

“She’s just gone,” he told him. “Left to go sit somewhere I think.”

“I see, thanks,” Terra couldn’t hide the disappointment in his voice but he turned around and tried to find her through the age-old tradition of looking. On the way back to the places he thought she would be, he saw a young man leaning against a wall. His spiky black hair turned when his face did and golden eyes glared at him. 

“Looking for the toy?” Vanitas sneered. 

“Not now,” Terra tried to ignore him but was blocked as he walked in front of him and stood in the way. “What do you want, Van?” 

“Just asking what you’re intending to do when you find her,” he said with an innocent smile. 

Terra frowned, “I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

“You’re right, it’s not,” Vanitas shrugged. “But I’m one of the few people here that know why you’re really trying to apologize.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You know,” golden eyes egged him on and said more than he did aloud. “I remember her screams very well.”

“You should,” Terra tightened his fists. “You hurt her.” 

“Yeah maybe I did,” his mouth was slanted in contemplation. “But..“ he got closer to Terra and clapped a hand on his shoulder, leaning over to get closer to his ear.

_“At least I didn’t rape her.”_

A chill ran down Terra’s spine as he stood there in shock. His memories when possessed were still vivid to him, like a movie that refused to stop running in his head even if he wanted it to be erased completely. His fist shook as he tried to clamp down on it to try and halt it, but it just wouldn’t. In front of him, Vanitas smiled wildly and tapped him on the shoulder in mock comfort. 

“I still remember her crying for help. Who knew one of Eraqus’ kids could be so evil?” He chuckled darkly then paused. “Oh wait, guess I do. Since I was part of Ventus after all. Oh boy, you have no idea.” His laugh built up in the uncomfortable silence, grating on the ears as he walked past him and down the hall. 

Terra’s breaths were shaky and seemed to choke him with every exhale. He didn’t know what to do. He felt sick. He felt like he would throw up. He thought of her and his fist clenched tighter. 

He didn’t deserve to go near her. 

*******

Onna watched Tidus and Lady with her hands clutching her kimono nervously. “My goodness,” she breathed. “They’ll kill each other if that escalates.”

“They’ll be fine, stop worrying,” Jecht patted her on the back.

“Rock, paper, scissors, HAH!” Tidus laughed loudly as Lady groaned. “Look the other way!” 

The game they were playing was called ‘look the other way’- a popular rendition of rock, paper, scissors for the kids on the island. The gist of it was that whoever won the initial round of rock, paper, scissors, the loser would then have to look at the opposite direction the winner pointed towards and in this case, Lady was the loser. 

And she seemed to have forgotten that rule as she mistakenly looked the way Tidus pointed and earned her just desserts: a slap to the face. 

“You don’t have to hit me so hard!” She screeched as she held her cheek he hit her on. “You’re supposed to flick me on the forehead!”

“Rule’s changed!” He declared triumphantly. “Say, where’s Yuna?”

“Er, she’s in Midgar..”

“What?! You just left her there?”

“My god Tidus, she’s not a little girl anymore. She can take care of herself!” 

“That’s not the point, you know she’ll follow you if you go somewhere and I have to end up chasing after both of you!”

“Aw, just like back at home huh. One big ol’ goose chase.”

Lady burst out in laughter at the sight of his dejected face and she stopped, tilting her head. “Wait, you haven’t told her you liked her yet huh?”

Tidus blushed. “What, no I-“

“AW! Tidy-widy didn’t confess his love for summoner Yuna yet!” She grinned. “The world’s best blitzball player lost his nerve? Oh wait. I mean second best. Your dad’s still got top place.”

“Pfft,” he crossed his arms. “I can beat my old man anytime, anywhere!” 

“Hear that?!” Lady called to Jecht, waving down both him and her mom. “Tidus said he can take you on anytime!!” 

“H-hey!” Tidus wrapped an arm around her neck and pulled her down to a headlock. “Whaddaya think you’re doing?!”

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Jecht waved to them, watching the two of them wrestle each other to the ground with Lady pulling Tidus into a body lock and sat on his back with a winning grin. “See?” He said as he turned his attention back to Onna. “Those kids’re fine, let ‘em be.” 

“Perhaps,” Onna still watched her daughter carefully and looked on with worry when Tidus knocked her off of him. “Maybe I should-“

Jecht placed a hand on her shoulder and sat her back down. “The kids are fine,” he repeated. “Don’t worry so much. Your little girl ain’t so little anymore, y’know? I trust my boy, you should trust your own.”

“Yes, you’re right of course,” she tried to relax but it was clear to see that it was still a challenge for her. 

“C’mon, I know something that’ll cheer you up,” he said as he stood up and offered her a hand. “Up for a challenge?”

She finally cracked a smile. “Always.”

They walked a ways from Tidus and Lady until they reached a secluded part of the castle, a training ground with plenty of space that served for a multitude of exercises. He walked over to a rack containing wooden swords and picked one up to toss over to her. “How ‘bout a little friendly competition? No one’s here to see your embarrassing defeat if you lose.” 

“Are you sure you’re up to it?” She grinned. “You’re not exactly at your prime.”

“Hey, I ain’t that old, and I could say the same about you.. but you’re still young and beautiful,” he stopped and looked at her, his dark red eyes lingering on her a second too long before she looked away, brandishing her weapon. 

“Ready?” She asked him. 

“If you are,” he responded and already took a step back as he anticipated her to move towards him immediately- which she did and still managed to catch him off guard. Stumbling back, he turned on his foot and swung his sword down as she brought it up to block it. “You’re pretty light on your feet, you know that?”

She pushed him back, following with a straight thrust as he ducked and rolled away, proving he was agile as ever. “And you’re heavy on yours. You always were a horrible dancer,” she grinned mischievously.

“Hey! I always tried my best for you!”

“Hmph,” a horizontal strike nearly hit him as he jumped back and sent his sword towards her at a rate that could snap the spindly thing in half, but she sent it back with a timely block. “Was it really the best you could give me? Tsk tsk.”

“Don’t be like that, you’re breaking my heart over here,” he laughed but immediately shut up when he saw her face soften into something more melancholic. 

“I would say the same..” she started but he made her stop when he did a feint and she instinctively brought her sword up to cross blades, both of their faces framed by wood and meeting each other where they linked.

“Sorry,” his voice was gruff even as he uttered an apology. “I didn’t mean to bring that up.”

“It’s alright,” her voice was soft yet her grip was unyielding, only when he placed a hand on hers and brought it down did she finally relax. 

“I’m sorry,” he said again and let their swords clatter onto the ground. “...It shoulda been me.”

Onna inhaled slowly and placed a hand on his face where it was scarred, rough and jagged even years after he got it. “If apologies could rewrite the past, then the world would be an easier place to live- but they don’t.” Even if the courtyard was empty, her voice was still in a hushed whisper in fear that something could still hear them. “I chose this. Stop feeling remorseful for my actions. Whatever sins I’ve committed, they’re mine to atone for.” 

“I know I know, I just hate the fact that you gotta do it alone,” he muttered. His eyes met hers and locked for seconds that turned into minutes. Intertwining his fingers with hers that still lingered on his face, he briefly looked away from her eyes to focus on her lips that parted slightly when realizing their proximity. 

Jecht closed in, his lips barely centimeters from her when Onna placed her hand on his chest and pushed him away gently, turning her face away as she did. 

“We can’t,” she said, her voice even quieter than before. Opening her mouth to say something else, she decided against it and apologized before picking up the hem of her kimono and walking away- leaving Jecht alone to watch her leave. 

As he always did. 

And with every step she took that led her further from him, he asked himself what would happen if they met again in another life.

*******

“WIll you pass me that?” Lauriam pointed a long finger at the watering can beside Lady and she picked it up, noting its light weight. 

“I think it’s empty,” she looked in to confirm and nodded when she only saw the metal bottom. 

“Ah,” he seemed mildly embarrassed but covered it with a light-hearted chuckle. “How forgetful of me to not fill it up today. Give it here, I’ll fetch some.”

“No need,” she cupped her hands and from the palm came a well of water that fell into the can like a spring. Filling it up, she handed it back to him with a proud smile. “Here we are.”

“You’re quite talented,” he remarked. “Magic has always come easy for you?”

“Yeah,” she admitted rather sheepishly but had no real reason to be embarrassed. “My mom always told me to watch who I do it around. Guess she didn’t account for the fact that I’d serve in the military.”

“Well I find your talents to be exceptional and nothing to be feared,” he spoke as he carefully nipped a bud from a rose. “Your magic..” he trailed off as he eyed the dolls in her hand. “Amongst other things.”

Lady looked down at the set of three dolls in her hands, clay figurines that she dyed prior to sculpting. One was slightly bigger than the other two with short black hair and a fixed sleeveless turtleneck as well as a frowny face; the second had chin-length auburn hair hanging over a red coat, the doll was placed with an unbelievable smirk that was somehow perfectly replicated in clay form; the third had long, silver hair with a thin line for a mouth and mako-green eyes. She grinned. She thought she executed their faces rather well. 

They were small and about an inch tall, dangling from a string she wound around their heads and connected them to the end of her cellphone. A custom phone charm.

“They’re very cute,” he said. 

“Don’t let them catch you hearing that in real life,” she laughed. 

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.” Lauriam finished clipping off the rest of the thorns on the stalk and then he held it up to catch the sun’s light on the misted dew drops that rested on the pink petals. “Here, for you.” 

Lady raised her eyebrows and moved forward to take it from him, but he moved it slightly out of reach before she could. “Allow me,” he said and with one finger, brushed her hair behind her ear before tucking it in. Standing back, he smiled, “Beautiful.”

She felt the petals, soft and velvety, like the finest silk one could afford. “Yeah, it’s one of the most coveted flowers after all.”

A ghost of a smirk played on his lips, “I wasn’t talking about the flower.” 

A lightbulb went off in her head and she felt her cheeks turn the same hue as the flower at the compliment bestowed upon her by this man. A handsome man she added. It was hard to describe, but he exuded a type of allure that was a bit feminine and dominant. A mixture of beauty and grace was found in his movements of his well-muscled body that was shown to her every time he reached for something or lifted an object. 

The man was simply gorgeous. 

Taking the band that kept his hair in a bun, she watched as his luscious pink hair fell around his shoulders and she smelled the faint scent of roses. 

The color pink and roses.. she wondered if he placed that flower on her so that she would associate it with him every time she caught a whiff of its lovely fragrance. 

Lauriam picked up a pot and she saw the dark purple blooms catch the light as well as giving the berries a light sheen. 

“ _Atropa belladonna_ ,” she said aloud and he smiled akin to a professor praising a student. 

“You’re well versed, like your mother.”

“Who do you think taught me?” She appraised the blooms with the back of her hand, standing close beside him as she marveled at the deadly berries. “She had a garden back home filled with poisonous flowers,” pointing to the large wisteria tree in the middle. “You know the seeds are particularly toxic.”

“Yes,” he nodded with a glance towards the purple flowered tree. “But something about that trait mixed in with the beautiful is..” he paused and she realized he was looking at her. “Absolutely fascinating.”

It made her mouth tug into a smile. “Something tells me that’s your field of expertise.”

“I’ve seen many, many flowers. But the rarest might’ve caught my eye,” he set down his shears on the table beside her, his hand brushing against her thigh in an ostensible manner.

“Careful,” she smirked. “Genesis won’t like you perusing his garden.” A remark based off the past fact that the crimson soldier hated this man’s guts.

“A shame, he’ll have to learn to share,” his hand brushed against her thigh again and this time it seemed more on purpose. “I appreciate your help here today,” his light blue eyes lit up as he smiled. “I would like it if you stopped by more.” This time his hands were on both sides of her legs and she felt intoxicated by the mix of natural musk and florals wafting into her nose. 

“Ahem.”

A female voice made both of them look to the side to see Elrena standing there with her hands on her hips. Her bright green eyes glared at them disapprovingly. 

“Elrena!” Lady exclaimed and hopped back onto the floor to bound up next to her. “Wow I haven’t seen you in a while, you look so pretty today!”

Elrena scrunched up her nose. “Only today?”

“No, I think you look good every day.”

Her green eyes tossed Lauriam another glare before turning on her heels to exit the atrium. Lady gave him a weird look and he smiled as he shrugged. Following Elrena out of the atrium, she was in a half jog just to match Elrena’s pace as the woman’s walking speed was naturally fast. 

“Elrena!” Lady broke into a sprint and grabbed her arm. “Why are you so..” when she turned around, she let out a soft ‘oh’. “I’m sorry,” she started, “I didn’t know you and Lauriam were.. involved.”

Elrena’s face twisted into disgust, “Me and him? No way!! I am not into him like that.”

“Oh, my bad,” she was embarrassed at her misinformation. “Not your type huh? I get it. So then who is?”

Elrena eyed her intensely before sticking her nose up in the air and marching off. Chasing after her, she turned the corner and was astounded when the electrifying woman was gone in a flash. She really was quick, that one. Sighing in defeat, she continued down the hall at a much leisurely pace than before and stopped when she recognized this part of the castle immediately. Xemnas’ room was around here, she hadn’t seen the man in some time so a visit might be needed. Stopping at a door that looked like all the others but was marked with a small emblem bearing the sigil of a Nobody that was barely distinguishable from the wood, she reached for the handle but stopped when it was turning already. 

The door opened and out came a man with silver hair and tanned skin- though not the one she had in mind. This one was far younger and his eyes were pale silver like his hair and remarkably not golden. She blinked. He blinked. And she summoned her sword and held the pointed edge to his neck. 

“What the fuck are you doing here?” She hissed loudly, pushing him back into the room.

Young Xehanort put his hands up in surrender and she had a chance to look past him towards Xemnas and Ansem who stood in the room together. She blinked harder to try and get whatever image she was seeing out of her eyes, but when they refocused she found that they were not illusions at all but standing there and looking at her looking at them. 

“Explain,” she sputtered out, thoroughly confused. “How the hell- why the hell did they let you in?” She aimed that at Xehanort.

“I wasn’t let in,” his hands were still up. “Let’s say I was coerced.”

“By who?”

His light eyes softened a tad but his smirk was sharpened. “Who do you think?”

She tilted her head and lowered her sword as he did his hands. “What, my mom beat you up?”

His lack of answer was telling and she let the sword disappear completely. “What’s your plan now?”

“Who knows?” Xehanort responded with a casual shrug, a gesture that seemed strange for him as he was someone who planned everything. “The future is a blank slate.”

Lady circled around him and walked towards Xemnas who made space for her to stand between him and Ansem. She turned to him, “What the hell is going on?” 

“It’s as he said,” Xemnas replied as she wrapped an arm around his to hold. 

“Expect our company from here on out,” Ansem added. 

She turned to the Heartless. “So you’re staying here? With us?”

“It does seem that way,” his lips were turned into a half-hearted smile. 

Xehanort approached her and placed her in the middle of the triangle of silver-haired heads. “I’ll be working with you closely from now on,” he said, taking her free hand gently and pressing it to his lips. This bewildered her, not so much with the action but who was enacting it. This was strange indeed. 

“It’s alright,” Xemnas squeezed her arm before taking it in his hand and intertwining the fingers with his. “You’ve nothing to fear from him from now on.”

“I’m sure you know that the same can be said for me,” Ansem had a strand of her hair between his fingers, admiring it with golden eyes. Whenever Ansem touched her, it felt like Xemnas doing it. It didn’t help that the two shared a similar face. 

“Is everything alright?” Xemnas asked her and she bristled. 

“Yeah,” she held his hand tighter. “Just.. confused.” Using the hand that Xehanort held, she flipped it over and lifted his chin up towards her. “What did my mom do?”

Xehanort’s eyes glanced to Xemnas and Ansem before resting on hers. “I’m afraid I can’t disclose that.”

“Why not?”

His lack of answer was telling yet again and she sensed there was more to this sudden companionship than meets the eye. Turning to Xemnas, she inched closer. “I’m going to find my mom. Will you-“ she stopped and looked at Ansem, “-and him be fine here?”

“Of course,” Xemnas caressed her cheek. “Go,” he urged her and she was released, giving them one last wary glance before leaving the room. 

*******

A little birdy told her that her mom would be downstairs in the kitchen. It didn’t take long before she figured out just exactly which door led to the room she needed as she heard raised voices behind one of them. 

“If she only masters the light it leaves her susceptible to the darkness! Enough- I won’t hear anymore of this.”

Lady froze. Her mom’s voice was cold and chaste, a sign that she was eager to end the argument on her terms. 

“I respect you and your wisdom. Your accomplishments and disciplines are worthy of study, but.. I’ve my child and you’ve your children. Allow me to train her as I see fit as you would your Terra, Aqua, and Ventus.”

Silence ticked by until she heard a male’s voice, no doubt Master Eraqus’, “Very well. You’ve proven your point. I’ll leave it in your capable hands.”

Lady quickly got up from crouching near the door just as Eraqus came out of the kitchen, just as surprised to see her standing there looking inconspicuous. “Lady, hello,” he greeted her with a warm smile though she sensed he was mildly irked. “Good day.”

“Good day, Master Eraqus,” she bowed her head out of respect and watched him walk down the hall before entering the battlezone. “Mom?” She knocked on the door though her body was already half inside the kitchen. Immediately, she smelled something akin to scorched dirt.

“Come in love,” came her calmed voice from the far corner of the kitchen and she saw how she was situated on a sofa chair next to the stove with a piece of silken fabric in her hand. Above her was a rectangular slit of a window that filtered in light to shine on the project that she was currently working on. “Are you feeling better?”

“Kinda,” she passed by a large island with a wood top and noted the multiple piles of flour, cracked eggshells and red juices that were spilled onto the counter that looked a lot like freshly letted blood. Only when she got closer did she see the flour staining her mother’s usual clean appearance as well as a stray hair coming out of her smooth updo. This was the most disheveled she ever saw her. She was half in mind to notify her of the flour coating her nose and cheek but decided against it as she imagined the comedic value it would provide. “What are you doing?”

Onna leaned back into the chair, setting the hooped silk down and revealing a series of small flowers embroidered with more silken thread and formed a colorful image of flora. “It’s for you,” she replied simply.

Lady inspected it closer. The craftmanship was immaculate, each thread was carefully placed in and some strings overlapped to make an ombré effect that breathed more life into the false flowers. “It’s pretty,” she admitted. “Looks like Yuna’s skirt.”

Onna smiled knowingly, glad that her daughter liked it. “Who do you think made her skirt?”

Lady nodded with the newfound clarity and took a seat on the ottoman beside her mother. “I saw Xehanort.. the younger one. What did you do to him?”

“Hm?” Onna resumed her embroidery and Lady tried not to watch as she could easily get lost with how skillfully she pulled the needle through the thin fabric. “Oh him, I merely convinced him to join your side. Isn’t that kind of him?”

“Uh-huh..” she wasn’t going to get any more info than that. “So, he’s okay now? I mean- is he a-“ she put up air quotes, “‘- _a good guy_?’”

“I told you, my love,” Onna paused mid-pierce. “I convinced him.”

“Hmph,” Lady hunched over to put her elbows on her knees and her chin in her palm. 

“Don’t slouch,” her mother reminded her gently. “You know how much your grandmother abhors slouching.”

She straightened up her back. “What was grandma like anyways?” Truthfully, she never met her but always had an image in her head of a strict woman with a stoic expression. Not that far from her offspring. 

“She was gentle,” said Onna. “But it’s hard for a woman who did things with an iron fist to be as such, but still, she did her best.”

Lady blinked and sniffed the air. “Mom?”

“Hm?”

“Something’s burning.”

Onna blinked too then set her embroidery down. “Oh no,” she said softly as she got up and rushed to the oven. Opening it, both of them began coughing as smoke billowed out in black clouds. Lady squinted and covered her face with an arm to try and get the stinging substance from her eyes and didn’t see how Onna retrieved the pan from the oven without the use of gloves. Metal slamming on wood was heard as a window was immediately opened and the clouds rushed out to clear the kitchen. 

Black soot mixed with the white flour on Onna’s face as she set the failed tart onto a plate with a harsh tap to the back of the pan. It plopped out with the consistency of charcoal being loaded into a furnace and Lady got up to see what this was all about. 

On another plate of bacon and eggs.. or she guessed that’s what it was supposed to be as the yolk of the eggs looked hardened underneath the black crisps on the edge of the whites. The bacon was burnt as well, appearing more like sticks of redwood as opposed to actual protein. This was the nicest thing she could say, as the tart her mom prepared was a disgrace to all pastries made in human history. An ugly, black clump of ash and burnt sugar covered it in splotches that looked like the covering of an egg birthed from an alien. 

“Your father was always the better cook,” she sighed, seeing her failed creations. 

Lady tried to hide the growing smile on her face as she looked upon this scene. Something about her mother being bad at something brought her a small bit of comfort, it made her seem more human. “Were you cooking for yourself?”

“No,” Onna trailed off. “It was for you. Well, _was_. I refuse for you to eat this garbage now.”

Taking a knife, Lady cut the tart in half with some effort. Spreading it apart, she saw the inside still seemed edible so she took a bite. Rolling around the pastry in her tongue she nodded, it wasn’t bad really. But the taste of charcoal still lingered in her tastebuds. “Not bad,” she finally told her mom and never in a million years did she imagine saying that to her of all people. 

“Don’t lie, even a blind man could see that this is beyond saving,” Onna gathered her creations and dumped them in the trash. “My apologies. A mother should know how to cook for her daughter.” 

Lady was quiet when she remembered all the days she spent waiting for her mom to come home to eat with her and her dad. But most of the time she never could. For good reason, she’d imagined. “Here,” she motioned for Onna to take a seat. “Let me cook for you.”

Doing as she was instructed, Lady placed the burnt pans into the trash too, reminding herself to buy new ones to replace them before getting out another set and gathered ingredients. “Do you still like tea?”

“Do you know how to make it?”

“Yeah,” Lady was already gathering herbs into a bag and setting them down into a mug. “Always knew the mix by heart. Dad said it was your favorite, right?”

“Yes, it was.” There was a hint of sadness in her voice but she didn’t pry. Both of them missed that man a lot, but they needn’t reflect on it now.

“Hey mom?”

“Yes dear?”

“When I was in Midgar, some men followed. Priests from your sect, I think.”

As she was whisking some eggs, she waited for her mom’s response. “Is that so?” Was all she said followed up with: “What happened to them?”

Lady tossed a few herbs and a slice of butter into the egg mix and poured it into the pan. “I killed them. How do you like your eggs?”

“Good to hear. I’ll take scrambled.”

Finishing off the toast, she began portioning the meal. “What do they want from you?”

“I imagine the same thing they wanted years ago. Me dead as well as you.”

Taking the tray to her mother, she set it down on the ottoman to place in front of her while she resorted to sitting on the counter and eating her meal. Scrambled eggs with fresh herbs and cinnamon baked toast with tea was their meal, and she had to hand it to herself- it was pretty good. 

“You cook like him you know, your father I mean,” Onna said as she took a small bite of eggs, her face was now clear of all cooking ingredients and ash and Lady wondered when she wiped her face. “He always did it with heart.” 

“Yeah I know.” Though she didn’t want to ask earlier, she wanted to now. “Do you miss him?”

Onna glanced up from her steaming cup of tea. “Everyday,” she replied simply before sipping her drink. “But you’re here now and I’ll do what I can to protect you.”

Lady wiped off a crumb off her lips with her thumb as Onna dabbed the sides of her mouth with the corner of a napkin. “So. Gonna tell me what you’ve been up to these past years?”

Another glance. “Would you believe me if I told you I’ve been sleeping for the majority of the time?”

“No,” she frowned. It sounded ridiculous. 

Her mother sighed. “Bahamut’s priests have many in their legion, after all the Dragon so loves the prayers they give him. It took me years to root them out but it seems there’s more. Alas, Bahamut sought me out personally seeing as I killed his devout followers. The result was a draw.”

“You fought Bahamut?” 

Her red lips formed a thin line. “Not successfully. It took a lot of energy from me unfortunately. If I haven’t wasted so much time with his servants, I would’ve done much more damage.” It seemed like she was taking more to herself than anything. Reprimanding herself for past failures. 

It also seemed like a tall tale. She knew her mom was strong, but to fight Bahamut _and_ get Xehanort to suddenly comply?? Something wasn’t right. This wasn’t normal. But she chose not to pry anymore and cleaned the dishes in silence.

*******

On the way out of the castle, in need of fresh air and a good, long thinking session, a familiar figure with spiky brown hair caught her eye and she immediately followed. She hadn’t seen him all day.

“Terra!” Lady ran after his fleeing figure who swiftly walked across the courtyard. “Terra!” She called louder even as their distances closed together. “What’s wrong?” She asked when he refused to look at her even though she was sure that her voice was audible to him. 

He didn’t turn as his back still faced her so she walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder to try and turn him around. “Talk to me, what’s on your mind-“

“Please don’t.” He reached over to place his hand over hers, seeing it hesitate slightly as he did before returning back to his side and instead shrugging hers off. 

She wrapped her hands together at her front, concerned furrowing her brows. “..Did I do something wrong?”

“What? No!” At this he finally turned around and she saw that his face was a mix of anxiety and sorrow, his usually bright eyes were dulled and darkened and his mouth was pulled into a sour expression. “You didn’t do anything. If anyone’s to blame, it’s me.”

She tried to smile at his silliness, laugh off the blame he tried to place on himself- but when she saw the guilt weighing down the corners of his lips, she realized the severity of the storm brewing within him. “But you didn’t even do anything Terra. It’s okay-“

“It’s not okay!” His voice rose and elicited a few glances from Radiant Garden’s townspeople. He didn’t even notice their peculiar stares so she moved him to the side a bit where they were more secluded. 

“What are you talking about?” She asked again, this time in a much more quieter tone. 

He was hesitant to meet her eyes but did so, filled with remorse he began to speak. “I hurt you.”

She waited for him to explain more. 

“When I was..” he closed his eyes and started over. “When I wasn’t myself. When I let Xehanort control me. I hurt you.”

Ah. She remembered. Even if she didn’t want to. It almost was blocked out of her memory. Almost. 

“But the worst part is?” He mumbled. “...I enjoyed it.”

Her hand wrapped around his and squeezed. 

“All I knew back then was that I wanted you back, no matter the cost. Even if Xehanort took over me completely, the chance to see you again? I told myself I’d do anything for that.. and it’s why I left in the first place. He promised me I would be able to bring you back.”

She squeezed tighter. 

“I’m sorry. It ended up with me screwing things up for everybody again.” His eyes turned downcast, “I’m a failure.”

“You made mistakes, but haven’t we all?” Their fingers intertwined and he was reluctant to but eventually relaxed into her touch. “When I close my eyes, I still remember how all of you bled on that fight in the crater. How I made you all bleed and suffer and even to this day, all of you still feel the repercussion of my failures.” She leaned closer, “Especially when I let Jenova use you to get the black materia for me.. it was one of my biggest regrets that I didn’t fight back harder.”

She guided his hand to caress her face as she leaned into his palm. “You weren’t yourself, you couldn’t help it. Even if you do think you could’ve done something different- we’re already past that. We’re here now- you and I. And all we can do is make sure we don’t repeat those mistakes in the future.” Her face shifted to kiss the inside of his hand, “Plus, the Terra I know is brave and has a good heart. He’d do anything to protect the ones he cares about, right?”

“You give me too much credit,” he muttered, voice wavering. 

“And you think I’m too much of an angel,” she chuckled. “But we all have our dark sides. The parts we never want to show to the world, but that’s still okay.”

They stood in silence for a bit before Terra’s eyes finally met hers without a sense of fear in them and he dared to crack a smile. “Come with me.”

“Where are we going?” She asked as he tugged her along to an empty lot where he summoned his keyblade to hand and shortly after, his glider. 

“It’s a secret,” he put a finger to his lips before pressing the side of his fist to the raised circular button on the side of his armor covering his left arm. In a flash of light that soon died down, it revealed him standing beside his glider with a full suit of armor- the same one she saw posed on its knees before her grave. “Do you need to borrow my helmet?”

“No need,” stepping forward, light surrounded her body and disappeared into crystals as silver lined her figure. “I’ve my own.” If it weren’t for the helm covering her face, he would’ve seen the cheeky grin. But thankfully he knew her well enough where he heard it in her voice. 

*******

“What is this place?” Lady looked all around them. A forested path lay before them with twinkling lights in the distance, forming a large pyramid and when her eyes adjusted to the brightness- she found that a castle lay beneath the lights. “Oh,” she was breathless. “That’s so beautiful!”

Terra helped her off the glider, disappearing as she hopped off. Her legs still wobbled from their travel through space and she held onto his arm to steady herself. They both had their armor on still and if anyone were to see them loitering around in the dark, they would assume they were lost knights from the castle over yonder, ready to protect and serve. He took his helmet off and disappeared in his hand in the same fashion as his glider did and she did the same. 

“Come on,” he held out his hand and she took it, being led towards the string of lights she saw before. Their path was blocked off at both sides with meadows that reached towards the edge of the treelines; small wildflowers dotted the dark grass with fireflies dancing between them as if they could hear the music from afar. The closer they approached, the clearer she heard the music being played from every open entrance to the castle; whether it be a window, a door, or balcony- light and music poured out alongside jovial conversation. 

“I escorted someone here once,” he explained as they walked, their arms linked as fireflies glinted off the surface of their armor. “A girl who had a dream.”

“Oh? And how did that go?”

He glanced up at the castle and noted the way it seemed to be so vibrant even at night. He smiled. “It went pretty well. She had her dream fulfilled.”

“You’re quite the romantic, you know?” She prodded him playfully. 

“Don’t say that,” he snapped out of his dream-like state momentarily. “It’s embarrassing.”

“It’s cute,” she corrected him. In the darkness, she could see him blush and it elicited a grin from her. “But isn’t this violating the rules, ‘O Master Terra’?”

“I’ll do it just this once,” he said as he stuck his chin up in false bravado.

“What if I like it so much and want to do this again?”

He turned his face towards her. “Then I’ll just break the rules again.”

Their arrival at the castle entrance was met with a greeting that confirmed that this wasn’t Terra’s first visit here. A tall man with black hair combed back and sideburns leading to a groomed stache met the two of them with a wide grin. His light blue suit was pinned with a red sash bearing an emblem of what she assumed was the royal family residing here. 

“Ah! Master Terra! A pleasure as always,” he bowed his head and then spotted her with a monocled eye. “And who is this guest?”

“A..” Terra seemed hard-pressed to find the proper adjective for her and so she took it upon herself to fill in the blank.

“A friend,” she finished with a practiced smile she reserved for situations like these. “The castle is wonderful, thank you for letting us in.”

“Of course, my lady,” the man took her hand and kissed it chastely upon her knuckles. “A celebration is duly needed as Master Terra finally found himself a dance partner.”

“Yes, I’m thankful for being in such capable hands,” she threw Terra a wink. 

“Well you two enjoy the festivities, should you require my aid- I will be here,” he walked away but not before looking to Terra. “I’m sure Her Highness would look forward to a greeting from you. It’s been a while, after all.” Turning back, he left the two of them alone and Lady wanted to interrogate him. 

“Sooo,” she elbowed him gently. “Is the girl you helped a princess now? Look at you diving into court intrigue!”

He snorted. “Something like that. It wasn’t like I put her there. The prince chose her out of all the other girls that came.”

Overhead were large glass chandeliers that gave off a rainbow prism when hit at an angle. Alcoves overlooking the ballroom gave dancers privacy from prying eyes and ears if they so wished. Everything inside was well-lit and gave off a golden hue to the already elegant setting, with rich red carpets welcoming their feet and music that enlisted the help of many brass, string, and percussion instruments.

The two of them were given more odd looks as they passed by and rightfully so. They were still in their armor after all and everyone else were dressed in puffy gowns and elaborately decorated suits. Her armor covered bits and pieces of her skin, with some parts showing off skin: the tops of her shoulders, her upper back as it made space for her wings to stretch out, and parts of her legs that she knew were scandalous around these parts to show. 

Suddenly, she felt a bit self-conscious.

“Do I look okay?” She whispered to him, wrapping herself more with the transparent sash that hung around her waist. 

“Always,” he replied and stood at attention when they approached the prince and princess of this castle. 

The woman greeted him first with a dazzling smile deserving of a bride for royalty. Her bright blonde hair was pulled into a bun and held in place with a satin blue headband that was the same color as the dress that flowed out from her waist and to the floor. When she walked towards them however, Lady glanced at her feet when a glint caught her eye and raised her brows slightly. 

Her shoes were made of glass.

“Princess,” Terra bowed his head. “It’s good to see you again.”

“It’s been years!” The princess curtsied back as the prince stood beside her. He looked like the textbook definition of a fairytale prince- smoothly combed hair, sharp jawline, kind eyes, and appearing to leap into action to save the day at any time. “I haven’t been able to thank you properly for helping make my dream come true.” Her voice was light and airy and oozed kindness with every syllable, even her eyes matched the way her voice fluttered to Lady’s ears. 

“No need, you did it yourself,” Terra smiled. “You have a strong heart.”

“You as well,” the princess was genuinely grateful and turned her bright blue eyes to Lady. “And who might you be?”

“My partner,” Terra answered. “My dance partner.”

Seemingly at a cue, the orchestra played another round of music and the prince seemed delighted to spend more time with his bride. 

“May I?” The prince extended his hand towards the princess and she took it graciously. They left, but not before issuing a farewell to the both of them. “Do enjoy the party!”

Terra waved to her while departing and pulled Lady’s arm. “C’mon. There’s somewhere private we can go.”

Escorting her out of the large ballroom, he helped her down stairs towards the garden where a large hedge maze awaited them. A mischievous smile appeared on her face and she ran towards the entrance, pointing inside. “Shall we?”

It wasn’t what he had in mind originally, but seeing her excited expression made him amenable to the idea. “Sure,” he nodded and she approached him. 

“Give me a ten second headstart,” she whispered and ran a finger down his eyes, closing them. “No peeking!”

“Alright.” He could play along. “One..two..” Before he could even reach three, he already heard her retreat into the maze- giggling that became quieter as she got further and further in. 

“Three..four..five..”

The footsteps he heard were now completely muted by the padding of the grass.

“Six..seven..eight..nine..ten.”

Total silence met him as he finished his countdown and opened his eyes slowly to let them adjust to the darkness. Walking into the maze, he looked down his left and then to his right before picking a route. He went right. 

Navigating a maze was trickier than he thought as he already hit a dead end at his second turn, and another dead end at his third. Reaching a crossroads, he wanted to groan when he realized he reached this place already as evidence of the twig he snapped off there to let him know of his destination. He decided for the middle path this time and was more surprised than frustrated that the path led him into another near-perfect circle back to the crossroads. 

Was he stuck in this place forever? He scratched his head. It seemed like it. The place was dark and if the moon was obstructed with clouds, he wouldn’t have been able to see two feet in front of him. While he tried to catch his bearings, footsteps sneaked up behind him and covered his eyes with hands that he knew all too well. 

“Lost?” Came Lady’s voice, though the answer was painfully obvious. 

“A little,” he admitted sheepishly. 

“Here,” her hands left his eyes and went to his arms. “I’ll show you a trick.” Guiding his hand, she motioned for him to do as she did. Her fingertips glided over the leaves and he did the same, feeling the foliage underneath his skin. “When in doubt, place your hand to the wall and follow it.” 

She took the lead, their hands on the wall as they trailed along. Sometimes she would lag behind and his hand accidentally overlapped hers, sometimes she’d linger just for him to try and intertwine but not before she pulled away playfully. They passed by the dead ends he ran into and quickly pulled out of there as he watched her go through this place with such familiarity that he almost didn’t believe this was her first time in this world. Not before long, their hands had led them to the end.

“Thanks,” he said. “You always know how to guide me out of places.”

She smiled, for there was a double meaning to his words. What lay beyond the maze was surely a reward for those who conquered it. A clearing in the forest was made with blades of grass and wildflowers serving as landing pads for the fireflies that made their home in this place. Moonlight shifted through the canopy of leaves, serving as a spotlight down below where a single raised platform made of stone lay. As if the fireflies were there to spectate, they remained still while Terra held out his hand to her. 

“Shall we dance?” 

Though the music was nearly dulled at this distance, the sounds of the forest made up for it with chirps, howls, and moving wind through the foliage. Taking his hand, they stood onto the platform together. In the middle, they assumed the position and with bated breath- Terra took the first step. She followed, eyes never leaving his as he spun her effortlessly. A song came to her ears and she realized it came from the man in front of her. 

“Are you _humming_?” She asked with a smile. 

“It helps,” he admitted. “...There can’t always be music, so gotta use my imagination, right?” he quoted Onna.

One step forward, one step back, spin, twirl, pause. He never took his eyes off of her, wanting to take in every second of this moment. When she closed her eyes to feel the sensations more, he squeezed her gently. 

“Don’t close your eyes,” he begged. “I want you to know it’s me.”

Heeding his words, their gazes locked once more as they stepped over the stone in tandem. They didn’t speak for the rest of their dance, but it’s not as if it went completely without words- they spoke with their eyes, they spoke with their smiles, they spoke when they danced under the moonlight and the way he held his hand fast against her waist told her more than he could ever convey audibly. The two of them merely enjoyed each other’s company with a dance they were owed long since past. 

This was their reward for finding their way out of that dark labyrinth. 


	25. XXV

Zack exited the weapon shop in Sector 7, frustrated that he couldn’t find another sword that could compare to the one he had as a SOLDIER. He took care not to trip over the raised metal threshold as he walked down the ramp with a disappointed expression. Scratching his head, the black spikes moved with each itch and he forced his hand down to breathe in the good ol’ smog rolling in from the upper plates. Letting out a groan, he thought of Angeal’s sword. Broad and long, he wished he could’ve done a couple missions with the buster sword or at least train with it a bit.  _ Ah well. _

Taking a shortcut towards 7th Heaven, he passed under metallic beams arching in a contorted way to hold up the stones that were poking through and reaching for the people below. As he exited and momentarily became blinded by light, a figure stepped in front of him and he jumped back immediately with all his senses turned to high alert. 

“Who’re you?” He asked. 

“Zack Fair, correct?” The man in front of him stated. He wore a helmet covering most of his head save for his mouth and a navy and green outfit with the Shinra logo printed on the sleeve. 

Zack frowned. “What do you want?”

“Come with us, we have some questions,” he said and from behind the metal shacks, others in Shinra uniform emerged. “We’d hate for anyone else to get involved. Please,” he warned him with a subtle wave of his rifle pointed towards the direction of 7th Heaven and Zack clenched his fists. 

“Alright, where do ya want me?” 

They motioned him to follow, some gathered behind him in a semicircle and the rest at his front to form the rest of the shape and effectively cornering him. This warranted a few weary stares from the slum dwellers, looks that didn’t last long as they didn’t want to get involved with whatever business was going on. From their perspective, Shinra troops were escorting a man with mako eyes- something they definitely didn’t want to partake in. Going up the stairs into an alleyway underneath a hollowed out metal pipe, the guard at the front pointed to a crawlspace which Zack reluctantly entered and found that it opened up to an enclosed area that had no other way out except for the way he just entered. 

He backed up, facing the guards that entered the area one-by-one with their rifles still held securely in hand. One glance at the one to his left told him that the guns had their safety off- presumably on a shoot to kill order. 

“So, you have me here,” he threw his hands up in a shrug. “Gonna tell me what you want now? What does Shinra want with me?”

One of them smirked, an expression that changed quickly back into the stoicism before. “Zack Fair, a First- am I right?”

“Ex-SOLDIER, buddy.” There wasn’t any use denying it, it seemed like they already knew his life story already- which was strange to him. Normal grunts like these usually don’t get the complete dossier, only what they need to do and nothing else. “I quit Shinra on good terms. Anything else?”

“We just need to know the whereabouts of some of your colleagues, you might know them..” he grabbed his phone out of his pocket and pressed a few button on the holographic screen before something popped up and displayed two headshots of two individuals he knew very well. One was Vincent, the other was Lady. 

“Never seen them before,” Zack shrugged. “The girl’s kinda cute though, the other guy looks like he needs a nap.”

“Really?” He didn’t put down the phone. “We’re told these two frequent this slum quite a bit.” 

Zack’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know who they are but I wouldn’t keep asking around, they look dangerous.”

“We’re assured they were,” the guard pocketed the phone with holographic Lady and Vincent saying goodbye as they disappeared and left Zack alone as a gun was pointed towards him. “That’s why taking someone they were close to might be the only thing that would make them surrender.” 

Zack moved his boot on the dirt floor, feeling a sizeable pebble under the padding and waited. “You sure that’s a good idea? You knew which class I was in right?”

“Sorry, I guess we didn’t really disclose what organization we represented,” the masked infantryman said. “I guess we are Shinra- but not anymore. Not after Weiss decides that we are more than just their experiments.”

Zack’s eyes narrowed further. “Deepground huh?”

“Yes, and we require your cooperation.” 

“Sorry, but-“ the soldier toyed his foot on the ground. “Not gonna happen.” Before they raised their guns at him, he kicked the rock backwards, hearing it collide with the infantryman’s helmet before rushing into him and taking his rifle. Elbowing him, Zack rounded him and sent him flying towards his other buddies and aimed the gun up. Shouldering it, he shot a direct line through their chests and decreased their numbers by three already. He aimed the gun at the others, taking down one, two, then three, but only got the one who was talking in the leg and kept him alive. Zack threw the gun down and walked over to the one squirming and knelt down. 

“Didn’t send their best, I’m kinda hurt man,” he put a hand over his heart before reaching down to grab him by the collar. “What do you guys want with Lady and Vincent?”

The infantryman bit down on his lip, mumbling something as his tongue moved in his mouth and Zack heard a crushing noise coming from inside. Soon, a fizzing was heard too and white bubbles foamed out of the sides of his mouth. Zack frowned and let go, the man’s body going limp and convulsing slightly on the ground before becoming still. He rolled his shoulders, looking around at the bodies on the ground and at the one at his feet. Kicking off his helmet, he expected to see some type of deformity but only saw what appeared to be a normal man underneath. 

This was worrying. They looked like anybody that could be walking around Midgar. 

Their bodies were soon enveloped in light, green orbs taking away their essence one-by-one before leaving the last who swallowed what Zack assumed was a cyanide pill. That white foam was the last thing that disappeared before the lifestream claimed their lives. 

The black-haired soldier sighed. “No loose ends, huh?”

*******

“Maybe we should get more flowers to decorate the bar, it seems so lonely in there. Do you have a favorite flower Yuna?” Aerith asked the summoner. 

“Not really,” she admitted shyly. “I think they’re all pretty- but wait.. maybe I do have one.” Picking up the hem of her skirt, she pointed out a flower to Aerith, “These are bellflowers, Lady’s mother handsewn these clothes for me when I announced I wanted to be a summoner.”

“How pretty!” Aerith admired the obvious skill in the craftsmanship. “What does a summoner do exactly? You summon the gods, right?”

“Figments of them,” Yuna said. “Vessels of their power. But it’s said that the Final Summoning grants one with the power of the Astrals to vanquish any evil they need to- for a price.”

“What’s the price?”

“A life,” Yuna said sadly, heterochromatic eyes turned down to avoid contact. “My father, Braska, was the summoner who saved our lands from destruction alongside Onna, Jecht, and Auron. Luckily they survived and no one had to sacrifice anything.”

“That’s Lady’s mom, right? What’s she like? Is she anything like her?”

“Yes,” she nodded. “I would say no. They’re two different women, but powerful in their own right. Onna is a wonderful woman, I’ve never seen anyone like her before. She may look mean, but she is very gentle. When I was little, father took me to be instructed by Onna in magic alongside Lady..” Yuna’s eyes shimmered in remembrance of this pleasant memory. “After lessons, we used to sneak out and Lady would take the blame when we got scolded.”

“You miss her, huh?”

Yuna blushed. “Yes. But it’s selfish of me to want her to stay in one place. I just wish we were close as we were when we were kids.”

“Then it’s settled!” Aerith put her hands on her hips. “You and I are gonna confront her and tell her to never leave you again!”

“I can’t do that!” Yuna protested but she wanted to agree with the plan. “It would be selfish of me.”

“Well if you won’t then I will!” Aerith grinned, pulling her arm along the path leading out to Sector 5. “If you never tell her, she won’t know, right? That’s why you came all the way out here!”

Yuna’s smile faltered. It  _ was  _ the reason they came along. Her and Tidus, along with her father, Jecht, Auron, and Onna. But something didn’t seem right. It all seemed too convenient. Onna never traveled with anyone after her journey to save Spira, in fact she almost always did everything alone. It was a question that bothered her at the farthest corners of her mind. 

_ Why was she here? _

They reached the gates to junkyard corral when a rustling was heard and a man in military gear appeared from the shade with a rifle pointed at the two women. “Aerith, right?” He said and the brunette immediately stepped in front of Yuna with a protective hand thrown over her. “We’ve been expecting you.”

“What does Shinra want now?” Aerith frowned. “Couldn’t they have bothered me at a better time?”

“This way,” another appeared and pointed towards inside the gate that opened with a loud squeak of its rusted hinges. “Step inside please.”

Yuna and Aerith both saw how they were surrounded and gave in to the commands. Neither was well-equipped to fight off the overwhelming amount of guards here. They stood in the midst of the dirt ground, holding each other by the arms and constantly eyeing the bodies that surrounded them. 

“Don’t panic,” Aerith assured Yuna yet never took her eyes off the infantryman. Something was wrong about this picture, in all of her years she never saw them get this close to her without a Turk close by. They seemed to act more out of their rank than usual. “What do you want with us?”

“Just some questions, then we’ll be on our way,” one spoke and pulled out a phone that displayed two headshots of Lady and Vincent. “Have you seen these people?”

“Never seen ‘em before,” Aerith shrugged with wide green eyes in false awe. “If that’s all, can me and my friend leave now?”

“Not so fast,” he pocketed his phone. “You, you’re the one Hojo took interest in years ago correct? The Ancient.”

Yuna saw Aerith’s body tense for a moment before relaxing and she didn’t respond to the man. 

“If the woman we’re looking for won’t cooperate, you’d be the next best thing. Do you still have the white materia in hand?”

Aerith took a step back. These definitely weren’t your run-of-the-mill Shinra goons. “No,” she lied poorly. “Just go away, we don’t have anything you want.” Turning her head, a soft white glint came from the recesses of her dark brown hair and unfortunately, both Yuna and the infantryman caught it. 

He waved to the men behind her and they nodded, taking a step forward and grabbed Yuna, holding her back as another yanked Aerith by the arm and pulled her braid back. 

“Ow!” Aerith exclaimed, trying to pull away. “Let go of me!”

“Aerith!!” Yuna tried to struggle against her captor’s embrace. “Stop it!

The man dug his gloved fingers into her hair, trying to pry the bauble from the braid before getting frustrated and finally pulled out a knife. 

Both Yuna and Aerith stopped for a mere second, fearfully eyeing the knife before resuming their fight. Her legs were then kicked from underneath her and she fell to the ground with a yelp. Under the man’s grip, Aerith was nothing more than a doll as she tried to claw at his wrist to reclaim her hair back from his grip. She moved as much as she could, even if every way she pulled made her scalp scream with pain as the iron hold didn’t let up. 

Against the sun the knife shone brighter and Aerith could see the serrated edges, her lips parted in an attempt to scream yet fear froze her still. Closing her eyes, she tried to will the image away as she struggled more but felt the knife press against the back of her scalp.

She expected something to puncture her but felt the knife draw away and fall to the ground. Opening her eyes, she saw something metallic fly past her and hit the man holding Yuna as the summoner elbowed him hard and rushed to help Aerith up. The two women stood up, holding each other to steady themselves as the flying object made a rounded trip back to its origin. 

“Quickly!” Yuna held her hands together in prayer and closed her eyes as she muttered something into her knuckles. From above came a flash of lightning and struck the men in front of her, frying their armor and turning it black with soot. 

Aerith glared at the man who grabbed her, holding her hand near her chest as she summoned a spell that would  _ really _ hurt. “This one’s for you!” 

Fire erupted from beneath his feet and launched him in the air, burning his clothes to a crisp and having him land back down with a crunch. The other men began advancing on them and the girls moved to launch another spell before gunshots rang in the air but didn’t come from them- it came from a friendly. 

Vincent landed in the corral, dust kicking up beneath him as he shot three bullets- one for a separate target and hitting them straight on. Beside him, Yuffie carried a large shuriken, no doubt the object that saved them earlier. She hurled the shuriken again, knocking out the others as Vincent landed more fatal shots that had them fall to the ground. Soon they were all gone, and Yuna watched as their bodies were enveloped in light and returned to the planet. 

“They go back to the lifestream,” Aerith explained when she saw the bewilderment in Yuna’s eyes. “They don’t do that in Spira?”

“They do,” the summoner insisted. “Ours have a different form, in the form of pyreflies. If they don’t return to the planet, they become fiends or monsters.”

“Same here,” Aerith said softly before turning her attention to Vincet and Yuffie. “You guys saved our necks!”

“Of course, the great shinobi princess would never let her friends down!” Yuffie gave them a thumbs up. “Right Vince?” She turned to the black-haired man and held her hand up in an expectant high five which coiled up when the man made no attempt to reciprocate. 

Vincent kicked the helmet off the man next to him, frowning as he did before the body disappeared. He turned to Aerith and Yuna, “Deepground’s getting more bold.”

“I figured,” Aerith put her hands on her hip. “These guys didn’t seem like your average Shinra soldiers.”

“We need to get to safety, there might be more..” Vincent stepped towards them then stopped, turning on his heel, he glanced up to see a glint in the distance nestled between two rocks. His crimson eyes widened and he barked at the others, “Get down!!”

They all did so as a shot echoed in the air and dove out of the range. All was silent.. except for a low groan that emanated from Vincent. 

The girls looked first to see the glint from the sniper’s rifle had gone and saw that something red was leaking from Vincent’s side. 

Rushing over to him, Yuffie turned him over first to which he responded with a louder groan. The blood underneath him which was a bright red soon turned black in color and they all stood up, shocked and a bit frightened. 

“Vincent.. what’s happening?” Aerith asked as the man’s eyes shot open and she saw how they glowed a menacing red. 

Vincent held a gauntleted hand to the wound, pressing down on it as black blood bubbled up between his fingers. He growled as he used his other hand to retrieve his phone and tossed it to Yuffie. Gleaming red eyes bore into the ninja as he held in the pain, “You know the plan- d **o it!!!”**

Both Yuna and Aerith were taken aback at the sudden change in Vincent’s voice. It transformed into something more guttural and deep, echoing from the farthest reaches of his throat. Like something clawing its way out slowly from inside him. All the girls did was watch as Vincent writhed in pain and Yuffie dialed in a number on the phone. 

*******

Lea nudged Lady, “Come on, wouldn’t it be cool to get your own Keyblade? You could train with me, I’ll go easy on you!”

She scoffed and gave him a small roll of her eyes. “Not interested.”

“Why not?” 

“Because,” she put her chin on her fist. “I don’t want to do any more training.”

“Is that really the reason you’re turning this down?” Isa asked her. “Because you’re lazy?”

“I’m not lazy,” she growled. “I just don’t want to. I’ve had enough of playing the apprentice for plenty of lifetimes!”

“Okay okay calm down, just thought it was cool you could train with us,” Lea put his hands up. “You know, warriors of light and all that.” 

Lady propped herself up, looking at him with unfeeling eyes. “I miss your inverted tear tattoos.”

Lea raised an eyebrow. “I could just pop on in a tattoo parlor and get them done again,” he said with a sarcastic undertone.

Isa snorted. “You would cry before the needle even pierced your skin,” when Lea frowned at him, he smirked. “You always were a crybaby.”

“Don’t feed into it,” Lady put a hand over her arm. “I was kidding. I’m fine with Lea just as I was with Axel,” she turned to Isa. “Same goes for you. Saïx or Isa.”

“I appreciate the sentiment,” one side of Isa’s mouth pulled into a smile. “How goes your recovery?”

“Pretty bad,” she said quietly. “I feel horrible. But don’t tell my mom that please? I need to do this and I can’t be kept here.”

“It’s for a good reason though,” Lea appeared concerned. “You’re not well yet.”

He was right, but it didn’t do well to calm her worries down. She wanted to be out there, bringing the fight to whoever wanted it and getting all the summons possible so she can fight Bahamut fairly. Leaning in her seat, she resigned herself to wallow in her own self-pity that she wasn’t allowed to leave until her phone lit up as a call came through. Bringing it up to her ear, she answered. 

“Hello?”

A frantic voice was heard on the other end and she looked increasingly worried with every passing syllable. 

“I’m on my way, bring him to the bunker and wait for me there- don’t bring  _ anyone _ close to him until I’m done with him. Understand?? Yuffie I need you to tell me you understand!”

When she heard what she wanted, she hung up and glanced at Lea. “Can you make me a corridor to Midgar? Please?”

Lea looked to Isa for help then back to her. “But you haven’t recovered!” Her eyes silently pleaded even as panic set in and he gave up trying to stop her. “Fine. But we’re bringing you back as soon as you’re done, got that?”

“Thank you,” she breathed a sigh of relief as the dark tendrils rose from the ground and she marched towards it. “One more thing, don’t tell my mom.”

*******

Arriving at just the nick of time, Lady emerged from the darkness to see the bunker ahead of her. Rushing inside, she saw Angeal, Genesis, and Sephiroth waiting on a couch. Yuffie was instructed to bring everyone away, but these three could handle themselves if worse comes to worse. Running past them, she slipped into the room Vincent slept in and closed the door behind her, bolting it shut- not as if it would do any good if her worst fears became realized.

On the bed was Vincent, laid out and curled on the side where he wasn’t leaking blood. Even from where she was standing she could hear the labored breaths coming from this man and hurried to kneel beside him.

“Did they get you again?” She asked and he nodded slowly, every movement, even the slightest, was a challenge for him. 

His dark red eyes roamed around on her body, seemingly eyeing the part of her neck that was revealed. She caught that and nodded understandingly before lowering her neck down to him. Her genes helped with the healing process, if this was anything like last time then she would have to give him some. Maybe they wouldn’t have to kiss again.

Vincent propped himself up on his elbows, slowly pushing himself up until he could sit upright with his back against the wall. He grabbed her by the legs and carried her into his lap with a hand caressing the back of her head and allowing her to expose it to him. From the corner of her peripherals, she saw him open his mouth, noticeably pale with fangs protruding from where his normal human canines usually were. No doubt a side effect of the beast that dwelled within him. 

Sharp teeth grazed the skin of her neck and she gasped softly as they pierced her flesh and sunk deeper in. Her hands gripped his shoulders as he wrapped an arm around her waist and brought her closer as she felt warm blood spill from the holes he created. She winced as his tongue lapped up the blood and she stifled a moan when he suckled on the rest. Though soon she began to feel lightheaded and a feeling she could only describe as euphoria coursed through her veins and paralyzed her like venom. 

When the lightheaded feeling persisted, she squeezed his shoulders. “Vincent.. that’s enough. That’s too much.” 

Even in his state, he listened and released her neck. Sucking the rest of the blood up before his hand gripped her mouth and made her face him. His lips were stained with the color of her red and she only had a moment to see how the whites of his eyes seemed to turn black before his mouth crashed into hers and she tasted the iron on her tongue. His tongue coiled around hers and she heard him sucking the saliva up as if he was a man dying of thirst. A hand to her head pushed her closer to him as he began kissing her more ferociously. 

Would a kiss be the suitable verb for what he was doing? Something hungry, wanting, and dare she say.. lustful?

Saliva dribbled out of the seam where their mouths conjoined with Vincent drinking up as much as he could. The taste of his tongue and hers writhing against each other overwhelmed her and drowned out the initial taste of blood. Her hands left his shoulders and went to his head, burying her fingers in his hair that she found surprisingly soft- like tangles of black velvet. 

“Vincent..” she murmured his name and tried to pry his head from hers. “That’s enough.”

In response he squeezed her waist tighter but finally let up, both of them panting lightly as they didn’t come up for air once until this very moment. 

“That’s good now right?” She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “To heal yourself with?”

They both peeked at the wound on his abdomen and she exhaled in disbelief when it hadn’t shown signs of closing at all. He seemed to have the same reaction as his hand that was still resting on the curve of her waist, gripped her harder and made her flinch in response.

“Did they do something to the bullets?” She wondered aloud and his red eyes glowed maliciously.

“It didn’t work,” he muttered, dumbfounded and he eyed her. “You just wanted an excuse to kiss me?”

She scoffed loudly. “Are you for real-  _ you _ pulled me onto your lap!” 

Gripping her waist on both sides, he lifted her up and threw her onto the bed as she bounced off the mattress for a brief moment before he pinned her down again. “Vincent?” 

His fangs seemed to grow in length as he bent down to the point where she saw his eyes shine like rubies. A thick miasma seemed to travel and glaze over them as his breathing became more labored.  **“Jenova..”**

She waited for him to get close, feeling his tongue travel down her neck again before wrapping her legs around his waist securely and flipping him over to where she straddled him. Taking his arms, she pinned them down on both sides of her head and kept it there until she moved to cup his face. A subtle green glow gave his black hair a sheen as she focused her will into him. “Go back to sleep,” she urged him. “You don’t belong here.” 

Red eyes glared at her hatefully as he tried to fend off her grip unsuccessfully. 

“Do you hear me?” She gritted her teeth as her eyes flashed a bright purple. **“Chaos?”**

The light from her hands grew in intensity and she watched as his eyes closed slowly before laying back onto his pillow with a small thud. She sighed, letting her fingers remain there before removing the red bandana he had on his forehead and taking off the rest of his clothes except for his pants. Extracting the bullet was easy, it wasn’t meant to penetrate deep into the dermis as others. The head was comprised of glass and broke upon impact, spilling whatever contents it had inside to the unlucky target. Extracting the glass however- that was the hard part. Miniscule shards made its home in his skin and muscles and she sat there with tweezers and bloodied fingers. Sweat beaded down her forehead and she took intervals in-between just to wipe it before it spilled onto him. 

“Almost done,” she told herself as the last of the shards clattered onto the tray. “You’re gonna thank me later for this you know.” After a moment, she imagined what he would respond with and spoke aloud in a deeper voice in an attempt to mimic how gravelly Vincent sounded. “Yes well, you’re such a poor amature at everything you do so I don’t see the need to thank you.”

“Is that so Vincent?” She said in her normal voice. 

“Yes Lady, you always suck and I’m such a dark sourpuss that glares at everything and everyone because it’s on brand for me, Vincent Valentine,” she replied to herself in her best impression of him and she snorted at herself as the last of the shards dropped into the pile. 

“That’s it then,” she announced to his unconscious self as she wrapped up the area that was bleeding after stitching it up as she did last time. “Goodnight.”

Exiting the room with a washcloth to dab the blood away, she looked up to see Zack sitting with the other three. 

“Hey,” she greeted him. “What’s up?”

“Zack got attacked,” Angeal spoke first. “Aerith and Yuna too. Thankfully Yuffie and Vincent were there to save the girls.”

“Oh,” she sat down, bringing up her legs to huddle. Her legs and arms began hurting earlier but she deigned to complain about it aloud. “I’m guessing they wanted information, right? Are you okay? Are they okay?”

“Yeah,” Zack crossed his arms behind his head, leaning comfortably on the couch. “I’m fine. They are too, just shaken up. But none of them got away with it.”

“It won’t matter,” she said as she chewed on her thumb, looking down with glassy eyes. “There’ll be more.” 

Beside her, Sephiroth tapped a finger on her back and at first she thought he was doing it as a way to comfort her but then she felt his long finger methodically pause in between before repeating. Three long ‘dashes’ followed by another dash and full tap across her lower back spelled out the letters ‘O’ and ‘K’ to her. She then felt him follow up with more dashes and taps and the message became clear to her: 

‘It’s OK.’ 

But it wasn’t okay. None of this was. She massaged her eyes, the pain more evident in her fingers as she spent so much time trying to still them while plucking out the shards from Vincent’s wound. 

“Vincent’s wound hasn’t recovered either,” she announced, hating the fact that she added to the pile of bad news. “If it’s anything like last time, it looks worse. I have to see where I can get some sort of salve or vaccine for it.”

“Where would you get something like that?” Zack asked her and she made eye contact with him. 

“Where do you think?”

“It’s dangerous to go alone,” Genesis insisted, leaning forward. “I’ll come with you.”

“And me too,” Zack stood up. “I’m not letting you go in there by yourself. Plus they weren’t just asking for Vincent, they were asking for you too remember? What if they get you like they did him?”

She shook her head. “Any of you four would be recognized immediately by Shinra employees let alone Deepground. I’ll go in alone. Besides, I have the element of surprise.”

Angeal didn’t like this one bit. “What element is that?” 

“Everyone thinks I’m dead, remember? Well mostly everyone. They wouldn’t expect a dead girl to be walking around their halls. Another thing is I know what I’d be looking for. No offense to any of you, but I think I’ve spent the most time in Hojo’s lab..” her voice drifted off, not wanting to explain any further and she was relieved when their silence meant their reluctant understanding. 

Sephiroth sent her another message in morse code but she didn’t catch it as she already stood up and made preparations to infiltrate Shinra’s HQ. 

*******

“Is this where I can find my daughter?”

Yuna looked up and immediately got up, bowing deeply at the waist. “Madame Onna!”

One look at the fledgling summoner made everyone glance up to see a tall woman at the door of 7th Heaven, looking entirely out of place with her regal robe spun with silk and glossy hair pinned with a golden ornament. Red lips curved into a smile and walked through, black silk trailing after her as she stepped into the bar. At first impressions, she seemed like an empress from a faraway land that decided to grace them with a visit. Perhaps that notion wasn’t too far-fetched. 

“Hello!” Tifa didn’t know what else to say but Aerith nudged her and she then motioned to a chair- the best one they had in the bar since it didn’t squeak as much. “Please take a seat. Do you want anything to drink?”

“Tea would be fine,” Onna folded her hands in her lap and watched the girls brew water, mash up leaves, and prepared a cup. Setting it in front of her, Tifa, Aerith, and Yuna nervously stood around the table as she sipped the drink. Her eyes looked at them from above the rim, lined with dark red shadow. “You three may sit, you know.”

At her behest, they did so and looked on as she set her cup down. “Exquisite, my thanks.”

“Madame Onna,” Yuna said. “What are you doing here?”

“As I said, I’m looking for my daughter.”

“Radiant Garden is kinda far,” Aerith remembered. “How did you get here?”

Onna turned her gaze to the local florist. “I’ve my ways,” a stiletto-shaped nail tapped against the table. “Lady should’ve never left Radiant Garden, she was to stay there until her recovery was complete. Why is she here now?”

“That’s our fault,” Tifa bit her bottom lip before continuing. “We called her because we needed help with our friend Vincent.”

“Hm, I see,” Onna tapped another long nail on the table. “This friend of yours- he harbors something within him, correct?”

“Something like that,” Aerith nodded slowly, thinking of how Vincent’s eyes glowed hungrily earlier. A sign of something inhuman. “He insisted Lady was the only one who could help him.”

“Do you know why that is?” Onna asked the three of them and they shared a nervous look with each other. Their confusion told her everything she needed to know and she relaxed her shoulders a bit. “It’s not mine to disclose. I shall wait here then.”

*******

Lady fixed up her appearance, wrapping her hair into a messy bun and applied a bit of darker concealer under her eyes to mimic tired circles. The heels she had on were smaller than her normal size and squeezed her feet painfully, but it was either these or the ones that were comically large that made her slip and slide around in them. She ended up picking the former of course. The white button up pinched at her chest and she was glad that the suit jacket and pencil skirt happened to be in her size. Woe be the women that found their clothes missing in the employee changing room. She left them some money, hoping that would make up for any inconvenience she caused them. 

Fixing the faux glasses on her face, she blinked a couple of times and caught her reflection on one of the glass windows she passed. With her Shinra lanyard and half-haphazardly constructed appearance, she passed for a sleepy intern. Hopefully no one would notice. 

Exiting the break room, she breathed a sigh of relief and walked towards the elevators; picking up a folder lying on a bench to appear inconspicuous as she pressed the button to go up. This was it. Homefree once the elevator reached her and she could have a ride to the upper floors. A ping alerted her that it was on her floor now and she adjusted her glasses and smoothed down her skirt as the elevator door opened and she tried to hold in the surprised inhale that choked her when she saw who was inside already. 

Right in front of her was Rufus Shinra, president of the very building she was currently infiltrating. 

He looked up from his phone, with a bored stare that turned annoyed when he saw the elevator doors still open and the person who summoned it was still standing outside of it like an imbecile. 

“Are you coming in or not?” He said as his interest returned to his device, pale blond hair swept to one side as his ice-blue eyes shone with the dim light from his phone.

She stepped in with robotic-like motions and pressed her desired floor, feeling rather exasperated when the button wouldn’t light up as the others did. 

“This elevator only goes to the 67th floor,” Rufus said behind her and she felt icy daggers stab her back from where she felt him glaring. 

“Ah,” she made her voice more high-pitched than usual in an attempt to disguise it. “Okay!” Slamming the button labeled 67, she stepped to the side and got a chance to see who it was behind the president. 

It was none other than Reno, Rude, and Tseng. 

They were ogling her just as she was them. Both parties looking at each other confused and she quickly raised a finger to her lips to ensure their silence. 

Rude frowned, tipping his glasses down to peer at her without their obstruction and gave Reno a look who mouthed ‘what the hell are you doing?’ before shrugging at Tseng who closed his eyes and ignored her. 

The elevator slowed for a moment and she glanced up as a light blinked above to alert the passengers of an error. She resigned to screaming internally. This couldn’t possibly get any worse. 

“Weren’t the elevators supposed to be fixed this week?” Reno sighed, still eyeing her and she started looking over the folder in her hand and trying to avoid making eye contact with her. Reno frowned when he saw how she was ignoring him and pulled out his phone to text something and hitting send. Moments later she felt her phone buzz against her leg and she retrieved it from her pocket and placed it back without looking at the text in its entirety. Reno, a man who didn’t like being ignored, decided to call this time. 

Lady grabbed her phone, clearly flustered and annoyed. Pushing up her glasses with the back of her hand, she saw the caller ID displayed and glared up at him. Turning her phone screen towards the Turks, they saw how Reno’s name in her phone was ‘Ex-husband’ before she reached around to show them her rejecting the call.

Glowering at the redhead, she removed her glasses and held up a finger to her lips one more time. Placing her glasses back on, she enunciated to him: ‘I’ll tell you later.’ 

Reno nodded, winked at her and mouthed back either ‘olive juice babe’ or ‘I love you babe’. 

Shaking her head, she rolled her eyes and waited nervously for the elevator to ascend back up slowly. When the floor she wanted finally arrived, she scooted by Rufus quickly and bumped into his shoulder, making her drop the file. Bending down, she was surprised to see him bend down as well to pick up the file before she did and handed it to her. For a brief moment, their eyes met and he raised a brow. 

“Who did you say you were again?” he asked. 

“No one,” she said in her high-pitched voice. “Just an intern. Bye!” Turning around, she held her files to her chest and fled. 

Rufus watched her go before turning to the three Turks behind him. “Did she seem familiar to any of you?” 

“Nope.”

“No sir.”

“Nah.”

Rufus thought nothing more of it as the elevator doors closed. Meanwhile, Lady hurried to find a private area to find her bearings. She hoped he didn’t recognize her and she also hoped that was the last accidental run-in she would have in this place. 

Rounding the corner, she froze when she came face-to-face with a man in First Class threads. Her eyes slowly trailed up the woven polyester and saw long black hair going down the sides of a slightly tanned olive-skinned face. Mako eyes sparkled as he stood aback. “My bad,” he said with such a casual tone that caught her off guard. Most Firsts were, to put it lightly, egotistical pieces of shit. This one seemed an outlier. “Didn’t see you there, you good?”

“I-“ she fixed her glasses and looked down. “I’m okay. Sorry.” 

The man frowned and leaned down towards her, prompting her to look away more. “Hey.. you look kinda familiar. Have we met?”

“No,” she muttered. “First day. I work in the science division.”

“No I do know you!”

Her stomach dropped and she peeped a path she could make a quick getaway. 

“It’s you isn’t it, Firstie?”

Eyebrows were raised at the mention of one of the many nicknames she’d gathered throughout the years. ‘Firstie’ was given to her by a man that watched her get to that ranking before him. 

She gasped. “Kunsel?!”

“Hey,” he rubbed her head, standing tall over her with a friendly smile. “Didn’t recognize me without the helmet? Haven’t seen you in forever, Firstie!”

“You’re still-“ she paused and looked around her carefully. Deepground could be anywhere. Any sign of deviance from her would gain some strange looks, perhaps from the wrong crowd. Sensing this, he took her by the land and led her into a room. Judging by the size, it looked like a meeting room with the circular table and chairs surrounding it along with folders detailing certain sectors inside of it as well as their appointed reactors. “Thanks,” she whispered. “I can’t be seen here.”

“I figured,” he chuckled. “With that getup?”

“But you still saw right through me,” she sighed and crossed her arms. 

“C’mon, of course I’d know it’s you Firstie- or hm, what’s your nickname these days?” He asked. 

“These days? Lady.”

“That’s pretty, how’d that one come-“ he was interrupted as the door opened and people came in, more businessmen with folders in hand made to make them look busy. “Hey,” Kunsel frowned, stepping in front of her and placing arms beside both parts of her legs to conceal her body. “We’re busy, use another room.”

They saw his uniform and nodded. “Right sir, sorry sir!” Closing the door, she heard them shuffling away as one of them said something. Their voice was muffled by the wall but she distinctly heard: “Man, Firsts are so goddamn lucky. You see the legs on that one?” Murmurs of agreement were also heard and her face flushed with heat. Her pencil skirt was tight and left little to the imagination.

“How does it feel to be a First now?” She poked him in the stomach gently. “Finally catching up, hm?”

“After Zack got to First, I followed after,” he said with a slight pout. “It’s all good though. By the way, how’s Angeal? And Sephiroth and Genesis?”

“They’re fine,” she tilted her head. “What’s up with you though?”

“You know how it is, do their dirty work, clean up their messes..” he paused. “You know, everyone was saying how you’re supposed to be dead… and that you killed Hojo as well as the previous president.”

She felt her nerves crawl in her spine, “How did you know about that?”

“Who do you think informs Zack of the going ons here and vice versa?” He said with a comforting tap to her shoulder. “It’s alright, your secret’s safe with me,” he winked at her and turned to walk back towards the door but not before something was tossed from his hands and flew towards her. She caught it with her fingers and turned it over in her hand. “Here. A keycard to Hojo’s old lab..” he looked at her over his shoulder. “You know where that is right?”

She nodded. Of course she knew. 

*******

“Tifa, there’s- oh, hello ma’am,” Zack paused at the door, looking at Onna who looked down at her cup of tea that no longer gave out steam yet he saw it was still half-full, or was it half-empty? “It’s good to see you again.”

“Zack Fair, isn’t it? You seem to be in good health.”

“I am,” he looked towards Aerith. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” she gave a half-hearted smile. “Not my first shakedown, y’know? I’m fine. Where’s Lady?”

He hesitated before answering, throwing Onna a nervous glance. “She went to Shinra HQ, said there’d be something there to help Vincent.”

Onna’s eyes were half-closed as if focusing on something, then through the open door came a crow with feathers black as night. It flew onto the table, cawing to announce its presence as it spread its wings far out to reveal the red string tied around its left leg with a small note attached to it. She reached for it and unfolded the note, eyes scanning through it impossibly fast before she crumpled it up in her hand and it burned to ash in a plume of white flame that erupted from her palm. Eyeing the crow, it bowed its head low before spreading its wings again and waited for its next set of instructions. Gesturing for the bird to come with her, it hopped up a few steps to rest on her shoulder. 

Before getting up, she waved a hand over the cup of tea and returned it to its steaming state before downing the drink and placing it back down. “Thank you for the tea, but it seems I’ve other business to attend to.”

“But what about Lady??” Tifa interjected. “Do you want to leave a message or something at least?”

Onna considered this for a moment then ultimately decided on not to. “I’ll contact her another time. But please tell her she shouldn’t be running amok when she’s recovering from a covenant.”

“A covenant? With a god?” Aerith asked her. 

“Yes, she must be exhausted by now.”

“It didn’t seem like it when she came by,” said Zack. 

Onna grinned. “That’s because she hides it well, but there are telltale signs of when she’s about to collapse. For example, when her eyes seem to be focused on something beyond what she’s looking at.”

Zack’s face lit up. “She  _ was _ doing that earlier.”

“And you didn’t notice?” Tifa shook his head at him. 

“Sorry..”

The high priestess was amused. “Men always think women are complicated when in fact they’re quite easy to read, all you have to do is pay attention,” she said to him which he took mental note over this tip he wasn’t willing to forget anytime soon. 

From behind the counter, a small body peered from the tippy tops of their toes and from their childlike eyes beheld a beautiful woman dressed like one of the fairy queens from their books. 

Marlene stepped out, nervous brown eyes regarding Onna with wonder. “Tifa.. who’s that?” she said without ever taking her eyes from her. The flowers and butterflies sewn into the hem of her black kimono seemed to sway as a false wind swept through them and Marlene was tempted to go up and touch them as well as the crow that craned its head in the same fashion as Marlene. 

“Hello,” the supposed fairy queen smiled at the little girl. “My name is Onna, what’s yours?”

“Mar..” she sniffed and bunched up her skirt with closed fists. “Marlene.”

“What a beautiful name,” Onna replied with a gentle voice and made the girl even more bashful than before. 

“It’s okay Marlene, don’t be shy,” Tifa nudged her to the front. “She’s a friend.”

To solidify their bond, Onna knelt down, the silk of her hem flowing out over the wooden floor as she did so. Extending her hand with palm raised upwards, a butterfly arose from it before fluttering around in a circle and landing back on the tip of her middle finger. Red dust fell from it’s ethereal wings as it flew towards Marlene, prompting the girl to meet it halfway and catch it in both hands. She giggled excitedly as it landed on her nose instead and left a chaste kiss before going to her hair and resting there before its wings stilled and solidified- turning into a hair pin. 

“Thank you!” Marlene felt the hair pin with a wide smile on her face. “I’ll treasure it forever!” 

“Don’t forget there’s magic in it child,” Onna put a finger over her lips as if it was a secret meant to be kept between them. “It’ll keep you company on the darkest nights and protect you when needed.” 

Standing up, Onna eyed Yuna as Marlene tugged on Tifa’s hair to point out her new accessory. “Braska won’t be pleased when he finds you’ve been assaulted.”

“Please don’t tell my father,” Yuna insisted, nervous that he would make her go home. “I want to stay here and do what I can to help.”

Onna’s strict glare paralyzed the summoner for a brief moment then she watched in relief as the high priestess’ shoulders relaxed. “Fine. But you’ll need weapons to defend yourself. I would cast a ward, but..” she faced Aerith. “Do you sense something wrong as well? A perversion of magic here, as if the very ground below swallowed the energy?”

“You mean like the reactors?” said Zack. “That is kinda what they do.”

“The reactors..” Onna thought about it. “Yes, but it seems something more, something larger. I can’t sense what it is exactly but-” she looked at all of them, “-be careful.” 

“Hoo boy,” Zack craned his neck, sensing a fight in the future with even more goons. “Wish we had our weapons at least. It’d be nice to see the buster sword again.”

“Why don’t you have it?” 

“It’s somewhere far away,” he said as a look of sadness permeated his usual smiling face. “At a memorial of sorts. Anyways, I’m pretty sure it’s rusted by now.” 

“Nonsense, a sword can always be reforged,” from her shoulder, she raised a finger for the crow to perch on and she held it up at eye-level. “Now tell me: where is it?”

*******

Hojo’s lab was as disturbing as she remembered it. And because of all the years of disuse, the place was covered with cobwebs and other things that scuttled around in the dark. It was creepy as hell and the lack of lights added to the ambience that unnerved her. Every step across the metal floor echoed and made her think she wasn’t alone in this place- and maybe she wasn’t. Because every time she turned her head, she thought she saw a man in a white lab coat walking beside her and every time she would hold her breath just in case she saw the man that once ran this lab. 

_ He’s dead _ , she kept reminding herself.  _ I killed him. I killed him.  _

Another thought then challenged her initial one and it made her tense up. 

_ But you’re alive, so why can’t he? _

She willed away any additional voices in her mind as she forced the elevator shaft open and peered down. It was a long fall down, the width of it certainly wouldn’t be able to support the full length of her wings so she settled for a simple aero spell. Descending deeper and deeper into the darkness, she put a hand to the wall to steady herself and she breathed aloud and watched in surprise as the breath turned into a white fog. First she wondered why, then it hit her and she wrapped her arms around herself. 

Damn it was cold. 

Holding her hand out, a ball of flame appeared in her palm and she turned to her side, tensing when she saw a humanoid creature outlined by the light she created. It was malformed, a black body covered with slime that reflected the fire from the slime that covered it. Red lines were cut around its torso as a tentacle-like appendage that stuck out of its left shoulder. It was encased inside a large tube and prevented air from coming in, if it had- she wouldn’t have the pleasure of appreciating the whole thing and only bits and pieces that would be gnawed away by maggots. 

She mentally scolded herself.  _ Jumping at shadows, what are you? 8? Get a grip.  _ Inhaling sharply, she exhaled slowly and reminded herself: “All in the mind. Chill the fuck out.”  _ This? This was nothing.  _

If she remembered correctly, what she was looking for was a part of Hojo’s extensive lab called the ‘Drum’. A floor dedicated solely to the research of Jenova and other extraterrestrial forms that landed on this planet long since humans inhabited this place. She climbed the stairs, entering an alcove with a multitude of buttons on panels and protective glass windows meant to shield the scientists from blasts. It lead to a long hallway that opened up to another elevator and she walked towards it, extinguishing the flame and tried to pry the elevator doors open but to no avail. She grunted and huffed and it was still no use. Breaking it would be a bad idea, even if there was no energy on this floor, the emergency alarms would most likely be in use. And that type of attention wasn’t what she needed. 

Pressing the button to go up, she tried to hide her disappointment and surprise when it didn’t open and she looked around for a way to wire energy into this place. Then as if her wish was granted, the lights hummed and flickered above her, illuminating everything that was once unseen. 

Then a boy that looked no older than 14 walked from a sliding door, his silver hair tousled in soft waves and highlighted his already pale skin and icy blue eyes. He wore a white lab coat and had a monocle-like device attached to his left eye. She exhaled when she realized who it was. 

“Chadley..?” She tilted her head. 

Chadley eyed Lady. “Subject #52, it is a relief to see you alive.”

She cringed at his use of moniker. It certainly wasn’t one she was fond of. 

“I presume you’re looking for something of value here?” he stated in that pompous tone even though he didn’t mean it. Even when she first met him, she knew this kid wasn’t normal- no kid his age talked that way with a vocabulary in that range. 

“One of Hojo’s vaccines for infection,” she told him. “It’s in the drum isn’t it? Can you get me there?”

“I most certainly can,” he folded his hands behind his back. “Would you like to go now?”

“Preferably yes, my friend needs that vaccine as soon as possible.”

The elevator pinged to signal it was now alive and Lady turned back to the hall. “Thanks.”

“Wait,” Chadley’s small frame stepped in front of her, a gesture that made it seem easy for her to simply push his body out of the way- but that would be no good. It’d be like pushing against air. As if to prove her point, pixels floated around him; unorganized computer data that were yet to be stored in his brilliantly composed mind. “I haven’t been able to thank you.” 

“You don’t have to,” she muttered. “Your master wasn’t exactly the kindest person out there.” 

“Nonetheless,” Chadley’s eyes, though synthetic, were filled with hope. More hope than most humans contained. It was certainly an admirable trait for a cyborg. Hojo created something marvelous with him, yet he looked over him as if he were nothing. “I appreciate you for releasing me from his bondage.”

She exhaled a laugh through her nose and brought her hand up to his head, shocked to see the hair manifested there to catch her touch. Ruffling his hair, her face softened. “You know you don’t have to be locked up in here. You should be out there exploring the world. Trust me, there’s so much to see. Probably more than your mind can comprehend.”

“Really?” He seemed frightened at the notion. “You think I could?”

“Better than being stuck here taking care of this lab. No one’s here besides you, don’t you get lonely?”

“Possibly. What’s the outer world like?”

“Big. Bigger than anything you could ever imagine.” 

“I.. I will consider your proposal. I shall wait until you extract the item you need from this place.” 

Flashing him a grin, she backed away and approached the elevator. Pressing the button, it slid open for her and she sighed in relief as she stepped in and let it carry her further up the building. Moments passed and she closed her eyes as she waited, remembering how familiar this was to her. It was unfortunate but she took it off the chin and ignored her feelings as the elevator doors slid open and revealed an even larger room than before. 

Shaped almost like an egg, large tubes lined the walls and snaked around the ceiling to gather at a point just before a rounded container that was bigger than any she’d seen thus far. Walking over to the rail, she peered over the edge to see the tops of tubes sticking out from the ground, incubators for all of Hojo’s pets that he joined with cells of other creatures. All of this was just a mixing pot, a way of making abominations under the name of science. It sickened her. 

Following the catwalk placed over the creations below, she made a beeline towards the largest one, the ‘mother’. Approaching it, she held a breath when she saw the inside to be empty. Of course it was, the specimen as well as her was relocated to another lab far, far away when her screams during testing became too loud to be innocuous. 

On a label displayed proudly under the glass partition was the name ‘Jenova’. Lady took a moment to peer inside at the empty confines that once housed the calamity that brought disease and destruction to the world over 2000 years ago and held her breath. A ball of emotions toiled inside of her, waiting to be unraveled the more she looked inside and the emptiness that she once thought to be there changed when she saw  _ it _ . 

“Jenova,” she took a step back and saw silver hair framing searing purple eyes that stared back at her with an expression equally wide-eyed and shocked as hers.  _ It can’t be..! _ She neared the glass again just as Jenova did and squinted, exhaling when she no longer saw what she thought she saw: that alien’s corpse hanging from the wires.  _ No _ . It was much worse than she originally imagined. 

Because she was staring at her own reflection. 

She backed away until she felt the rail behind stop her from falling over and she released a shaky exhale that seemed colder than the breaths she took in. Looking down and swallowing hard, she slowly looked up again and became relieved to see that her regular reflection stared back at her in an almost mocking tone. 

“Get a grip,” she muttered, pinching herself as she rounded the container and reached the area she needed to where a metal box was there, mounted to the wall as it had been all those years ago. Opening it, she felt uplifted when she saw that what she was seeking was indeed here all along. A small vial of viscous green fluid, a cure-all that Hojo created specifically for Project SIREN- his only mercy granted to her. Grabbing it from the confines, she stopped when something fell from a hook where she moved her hand by. It was something small and rectangular and when she picked it up, she realized it was a USB. Turning it over in her hand, she squinted at it wondering what information was inside and whether it was something she should bring with her. 

“That contains all the information on the being dubbed Jenova,” Chadley said, suddenly appearing behind her. 

“By the Six-!” she yelped, jumping as she turned around towards the cyborg boy who was capable of potent jumpscares. “Don’t do that.”

“My apologies,” he folded his arms behind his back and not looking the least bit sorry. “I thought you might require help since it has been a while since your last visit.”

“Word of advice? People usually don’t like getting snuck up on in the real world,” she hissed and he took this into consideration. 

“Subject #52-” he stopped and addressed her by her real name. “Your pulse seems to be accelerated. Are you alright?”

“Huh I wonder why,” she sighed then turned to look at the empty container over her shoulder. “..It’s nothing. I think I’m done here.” With one last look at the USB, she stuffed it in her pocket beside the vial. “Let’s go Chadley.”

“It’d be my pleasure,” he escorted her back to the elevator. As they descended back down, he looked at her. “When you leave, will you promise not to forget about me?”

She gave him a funny look, “I couldn’t even if I tried. Don’t worry your pretty little head. Besides, we’re friends aren’t we? You can come see me whenever you like.”

His eyes shimmered as if he was processing the word ‘friend’ and a small smile appeared on his face. “I think I’d like to see the world like you said and leave this place.” 

Leaning against the elevator wall, she smirked, “Do what you want, kid. There’s no one holding you back now.” 

When they walked down the hallway together to exit the lab, the lights turned off after them and with one last glance at the place that made her what she was- she finally turned away to go back to her friends. 

*******

“Vincent’s going to be alright,” Lady announced to everyone, wiping off the last of the rapidly applied makeup off her face. “Give him a couple days tops.”

“Can’t believe you snuck in. Did you run into anybody?” Barret asked her. 

“Uh.. a couple people sure.”

“Anyone important?”

“Um.. maybe Rufus Shinra?”

“What?! You ran into the top dog himself? How?!”

“He was riding the elevator and I accidentally got on.”

“You should’ve took the stairs,” Cloud told her. 

“I didn’t think he would be riding the elevators!” She protested. “I thought the president would have some sort of private elevator or something.”

“There’s no such thing?” Angeal made a face. “They take the same elevators as us? Only difference is that they have a keycard.”

“Shows how much you paid attention while you were there,” Genesis said at her expense. 

“You’ve worked there just as long as us, how did you not know this?” Sephiroth added. 

“Are you sure you were First, darlin’?” Cid said before guzzling his drink in one gulp. 

“Don’t be rude,” Yuffie threw one of her almonds at him. “People can forget things sometimes!”

“Perhaps. But it  _ was _ her job,” Red muttered under his breath, his tail swaying back and forth. 

“It’s okay Lady, I was clueless about stuff there too when I started out!” Zack said in an attempt to cheer her up but it only made her sink into her folded arms more, the apples of her cheek burning wildly from embarrassment.

“Leave me alone,” she said in a muffled voice. “It’s just been a while, okay?” 

Angeal laughed. “Nice excuse.”

“Leave her alone,” Tifa scolded the boys and handed her a cup of water. “By the way, your mom said to come back as soon as you were done. Says you were supposed to be resting.”

“Great,” Lady groaned. “I’ll be getting another lecture when I go back. Anything else? Did you see any more of those Deepground guys?”

“No, it was peaceful after their initial attack,” said Yuna. 

“They were really only after you guys..” Aerith trailed off. “And one other thing.” Standing up, she appeared to be fixing her hair but Lady saw something white appear in her hand and she displayed it for everyone to see. It was materia. Pure white materia that gave off an effervescent glow. Lady became rigid at the sight. 

“They were after that? Why?” Yuffie tilted her head. “Looks normal to me.”

“It smells.. odd,” Red said as he lifted his snout. 

Barret took off his shades to get a better look at it. “Didn’t even know you had that in there, Aerith!” 

“It has to be special if they wanted it though, right?” Tifa said with a finger to her chin. “They went through a lot of trouble just to corner you for it.”

“I guess. I don’t know why though,” she continued. “It doesn’t even do anything. My mother gave it to me before she passed.” Turning it towards the Firsts, she asked them, “Do you guys know anything about it?”

“No, haven’t seen anything like it,” Genesis was the first to answer, being the one of the ones more proficient with materia and magic out of the group. 

“Can’t say I have,” Sephiroth added. He seemed to want to add something else but decided against it. “My apologies.”

Angeal just shook his head and Aerith finally turned to Lady who became increasingly uncomfortable the more she stared at the object in her hand. She shifted in her seat with a hand shielding and covering her right eye as Aerith’s attention focused on her. 

“You don’t know what that is?” Lady said in a low voice. “It’s the white materia. Granting the user to cast holy, the purest of white magic there is.”

Aerith was taken aback. “How do you know?”

“Because I have its counterpart.” 

Before anyone else could speak, she raised her hand with her palm stretched outward. Opening it up, black wisps arose from her skin before forming a sphere and slithering back into her hand. A single black orb lay in her palm, dark as the void and gave an eerie shine- like the pupils of a monster that was fully dilated and ready to pounce. 

“The black materia,” Lady explained. “There’s only one of these as there is of that.” 

Aerith almost didn’t want to ask, but she knew she had to. “..What does it do?”

“It summons meteor, one of the ultimate forms of destruction magic,” she muttered, tossing the thing up in the air and catching it. On the third catch, the black materia disappeared and sank back into her skin like ink. 

“Meteor?” Tifa stepped forward. “You mean like that giant thing that appeared three years ago? But how?”

Lady took a deep breath. She’d have to tell them sooner or later, she just didn’t know it’d be this soon. “There’s a reason why Deepground is after me and Vincent, not necessarily for the skillset we have- but rather what’s inside of us. Do any of you remember how the original president died?”

“The bastard had cancer,” Barret answered swiftly, a death she was sure he remembered vividly. 

“Was that all?” she asked him. 

“They wouldn’t show him on T.V. any more, said that he was really ill,” Aerith added slowly. “Why do you ask?”

She set her hand down that covered her eye this entire time to show the vivid purple that took place there. “Because I gave that disease to him.”

“The hell do you mean?” Barret frowned. 

“Six years ago the president kept leaving the city, right?” Lady leaned forward in her chair. “What did they say it was for? Scouting vacation spots? No, he spent time away just to check up on me in that lab they built to keep me away.” 

Cloud perked up, “The one near Nibelheim? I heard it was destroyed.” 

“Right,” she nodded. “And who do you think did that?” The following silence allowed her to continue, “I killed everyone in there but left the president alone with something that would consume him slowly. He didn’t deserve a quick death and I wanted him to suffer.”

She felt their stares during her confession, a mixture of fear and confusion. But she pressed on. She wanted them to know. Wanted to see if they were willing to stand beside her after learning the truth. 

Aerith held the white materia close to her heart. “Why.. why would you do that?” 

Lady glared at her, but she didn’t mean to. “You don’t know what they did to me in there!” she said through gritted teeth. “Vincent was already dead when they transplanted Chaos into him, but I was alive. I felt everything they were doing.” She let out a bitter laugh, “You know they planned to breed me if it was a success?” Closing her eyes, she remembered seeing Hojo and the president regard her naked body through a glass wall while mako bubble swam before her. “It was a success. And here we are. I planned to destroy this world and use it as a vessel before I was thankfully stopped.”

“You mean when you were killed,” Zack corrected her quietly. 

“Killed, stopped, it’s all the same,” she waved him away. “It had to be done. You guys saved the world.”

“Stop talking like you weren’t controlled,” Genesis said, anger evident in his voice. “I’ve seen the reports. It only takes one of Jenova’s cells for her to take over your mind.”

“I could’ve fought harder,” she shook her head. “But I didn’t. I’m sorry.”

“What if you get controlled again like last time?” Cloud said aloud and made both Aerith and Tifa look at him in shock. 

“Cloud!” Tifa exclaimed in disbelief.

“I hate to say it, but he’s right y’know,” Barret voiced his opinion loudly. “She almost destroyed the world once, what say she won’t do it again?” His choice of words were scalding and made her flinch. 

“It’s something we need to consider.” Cloud’s eyes never left Lady and she met his gaze. “What if Jenova takes over you again, what are we going to do about it?”

“The calamity from the sky,” Red flicked his tail towards her. “It would be a challenging fight indeed. I doubt any of us would take you on with the power you hold now.”

“This isn’t necessary,” Angeal muttered, closing his fists tightly. 

“How do you know?” Barret walked up to him. “Just because you four were war buddies don’t mean you know what’s gonna happen. Plus, y’all worked for Shinra too. Who know what you got planned!”

“Are you serious?” Genesis grimaced. “After all this time, you still think we’d be Shinra’s lapdogs? Don’t insult me,” he said as he stood up abruptly. 

Sephiroth placed a hand on Genesis’ shoulder and sat him back down, looking up at Barret as he did. “If we wanted to kill all of you, don’t you think we would have done so by now?”

“Damn if he ain’t right,” Cid’s brows furrowed. “If ol’ Vinny and her got their inner demons loose, we’d be royally fucked on both ends. We need some type of insurance, woman.”

Reaching into her pocket, she eyed the blond. “Here,” she tossed Cloud something small and he caught it, opening up his palm to reveal a USB. “It has everything about me on it, details about Project SIREN, research on my anatomy and Jenova.. All that you need to find an easy way to beat me again if you need it.” 

Yuna closed her eyes and lowered her head. “That’s so horrible.. Why would you give us that?”

“Because,” Lady’s eyes hardened as she leaned against the table with legs crossed at the ankles and arms wound tightly together, a move made to appear as if she had everything under control though she just wanted to feel as if someone was holding her. “If Chaos was let loose as well as Jenova, no offense- you’d all be screwed. And that USB-” she pointed to the thing in Cloud’s hand, “-that’s your saving grace against me.” 

“But shouldn’t Jenova be dead?” Zack said, his tone filled with concern. “I mean you said you killed her right?” 

“That’s what I thought too, but..” she stopped, pushing herself up and going to the mirror on the side of the bar where it showed the reflection at full view to everyone else present. Slowly, she placed her hand against the surface and looked at herself in the eyes. The color of her irises began to be overtaken as purple replaced them, then her skin appeared to pale in hue and turned silver- traveling up her arms until it traveled down the roots of her hair until everything was a sickly ghostly color.

Then, to everyone’s horror, Lady took a step back.. yet the reflection remained the same and stared towards them without turning as she did. 

The thing in the mirror sneered, it’s eyes glowing maliciously as it’s mouth turned into a taunting smirk. 

“See?” Lady asked them though she already knew the answer to that judging by the looks on their faces. “Not as dead as I thought.”

“How is that possible?” Tifa asked, breathless. 

“Think of the lifestream as a sea,” she began explaining. “In order for me not to drown, I had to grab onto something. That something happened to be this thing’s corpse.” Turning back to her reflection, she continued talking even as her reflection’s mouth refused to move. “Until Bahamut picked me up. But even then, her cells are a part of me as I am a part of her and it’ll stay that way until I get destroyed too of course.”

“And you absorbed the ones we had.” Sephiroth faced her. “Right?”

“Yeah, I didn’t know what I was doing to you guys was actually on Jenova’s behalf. Taking up the rest of her scattered cells like some scavenger hunt. But I’m sure I took all of them when I died the first time.” After a moment, she added in a dejected apology. “Sorry.”

Grabbing a nearby tablecloth, she whisked it over the mirror- covering the reflection completely. But even through the thick tarp, she could still see those hateful eyes glaring back at her. 

“Don’t know why I bothered struggling though,” she muttered. “Maybe I really should’ve just disappeared then.” Turning to face everyone, she resumed the crossed-arm posture. “There you have it, I’ve told you all you needed to know. I’ll be your ally till the end of course, but remember there’s risks you take by being beside me. Like that thing,” she gestured to the covered mirror behind her with a thumb. “I had it under control most days when I was brought back.. but you just never know.” She turned her head down, “Sorry.”

A heavy silence hung in that bar in Sector 7. Some of them thinking of the hours they spent atop that crater fighting that thing that wanted to destroy the world, the other half thinking of the time where they thought their final hours would be spent looking up at the thing that was hurling towards them from space. Despite their different situations all of them felt one thing: trepidation. Complete and utter fear of what would happen. 

After a few beats that sounded loudly in her chest, a paralyzing fear held her legs down to the floor. Fear of what? She didn’t know. Of their judgement perhaps. It was understandable if they didn’t want her within close proximity. 

To Lady they looked scared, but to them  _ she _ was the one that looked the most scared. Of rejection, of ostracization. It brought her back to the times where she was just a kid. 

Suddenly, Aerith walked up to Cloud, grabbing the USB from his hands and marching towards Lady. Stopping before she got too close, the brunette dropped the USB onto the floor and Lady watched as Aerith brought her boot up and stomped on it. 

“What are you doing?” Lady was shocked as she continued to stomp on it until it became shattered into pieces. 

After it was all said and done, Aerith looked down at her work with a satisfied nod then looked up at her. “There won’t be a need for that. You might’ve fought through this alone the last time, but we’re here for you now!” She took Lady’s hands in hers. “You always leave by yourself because you’re scared of hurting the people around you, right? Even when you laugh, I can tell you aren’t really feeling that way.” She had a gentle tone to her voice that was soothing, “Because your eyes are always so sad, like you’re remembering something you regret.” 

Yuna approached, taking Lady’s arm in hers and shaking her slightly. “I came here to help. This is my resolve: to do whatever I can for you. Please stop thinking you have to take on the world yourself!” 

“We’re here for you too!” Yuffie and Tifa both surrounded her. “Don’t think you’re in this alone anymore.”

“We want to see this world safe as much as you do,” Tifa smiled at her warmly. 

The floorboards creaked heavily and alerted Lady of Barret’s presence and she looked up to see him massage the back of his neck while looking to the side nervously. “Look, I know what I said before was kinda screwed up.. I also ain’t blaming ya for almost blowing the world to shit. You were kind of a hardass when I first met you, but turns out- you’re alright. So it don’t matter to me what you did in the past, long as you fight with us for the future.”

“Ah hell,” Cid sighed loudly. “I guess I’m with it too, what’s the worse that could happen anyways?”

Red chortled, "It's amusing how quick you are to change your mind."

"We're all good, aren't we?" Aerith said. "Aren't we, Cloud?"

Zack had an arm around Cloud's neck, shaking him and made the blond give her a reluctant thumbs up. 

“Sweet!” Yuffie jumped up on a table. “Then we’re all in agreement, Lady and Vincent stay with us and become our super secret weapons!”

“Oh Yuffie..” Tifa shook her head. “I wouldn’t have worded it that way.”

“All in favor, raise their hands!” The ninja shot her hand up and slowly, one-by-one, everyone in the bar rose theirs in solidarity. 

Lady smiled a soft, melancholic smile. From the side, she saw her three soldiers share a knowing look with her that filled her with warmth; there were no words exchanged between them, but that was okay because she knew what it was they had to say already and it filled her with the strength she needed to face anything. 

“Thank you.”

*******

Golden twilight bathed a body that flailed as she missed another kickflip, narrowly missing the ground as she collided into another with her face planting in his chest. Kind blue eyes encouraged her to get back on and try again but she vehemently shook her head. 

“I refuse, I can’t be this bad can I?” Lady pouted, bending over to pick up the skateboard and handing it back to Roxas. 

“It’s easy,” he took it from her and let it fall to the ground with a loud clunk. “I’ll show you!”

Roxas hopped on the board, picking up speed with his right foot propelling him forward. He crouched down just as he reached the ledge and hopped on it, grinding the board against the brick and hopping back off with a little spin. It wasn’t over yet though as he spun back around towards her and when he was directly in front of her view, he did a perfect ollie before landing and stopping with his heel. 

“See?”

She made a face and put her hands on her hip. “Now you’re just showing off! There’s no way I can do all that.”

“It’s easy,” he insisted and kicked the board towards her while taking both of her hands in his. “Here- up you go.” He waited until both of her feet were planted on it before walking beside her and pulling her along. “There you go, you got it.”

“Pfft, only because you’re with me,” she held onto him tighter when she felt the slightest tremble of the skateboard. “At this rate I’d need you with me every time I attempt this.”

“I’d make time for that,” he insisted, turning her around and smiling when her knees locked up as she tried to balance herself. It was cute. “Okay, I’m going to let go now and you try to push yourself off.”

“What?!” Her voice was panicked. “You sure that’s a good idea??”

“Just trust your feet,” he insisted and began picking up the pace, feeling skateboard’s wheels rumble on the brick pavement below them. “Ready?”

“No,” she admitted. “But let’s do it.”

Roxas gave her one last squeeze before pushing her off and watching her pick up the speed, maybe a little too much. 

“Woah..” her hands were out, trying to balance herself but it was a poor attempt and so her hands returned to her side and she used her foot to guide her as she saw him do. “Ah! I think I got it!” She cried excitedly and looked back at him for his approval. “Roxas, look I- wah!” 

“Lady!!” Roxas yelled and dove towards her just as the board slipped from beneath her. He grabbed onto her just as she pushed towards him and the resulting pendulum swung against his favor as they collapsed to the ground with her on top of him. He winced with his eyes closed and saw the skateboard a good meter away from them, on its back with the wheels still spinning wildly out of control. His chest felt heavier than usual and he saw that she had her face buried in it, clutching onto his shirt still as if she was still falling. “You okay?”

She looked up, chin on his sternum and palms relaxing and resting against him. She nodded, clearly embarrassed, “Don’t let go next time.”

He smiled. “Never.” 

Before he could stop himself, he reached up to brush a piece of her hair from her face and kept it there for a moment to admire how the perpetual twilight lit her face up in a beautiful golden glow. Whereas he was blocked from the sun with the solid brick wall shading him and casting him in shadow. The only other time he got to admire her face this closely was long ago. Three years ago when he was a tenant at her apartments and she let him share the same bed as her to sleep in. 

He was a Nobody then. A being with no heart supposedly, but he still felt something stir within his chest when he looked at her face drenched in moonlight as he did now at this very moment when she was covered in soft twilight. 

She smiled softly, pushing herself up from his chest and dusting herself off. “C’mon,” she pointed towards the clock tower that rose high above them, the tallest area supposedly in this town as Roxas claimed. “You said you’d show me what that’s about,” walking towards it, she waved for him to follow and turned around with a mischievous grin. “Something about friendships and ice cream, the ‘icing on the cake’?”

“Don’t say it like that,” Roxas got up, dusting off his shoulders and picking up his skateboard on the way. “It makes it sound cringy as hell.”

“I think it’s cute,” she insisted and walked up the steps to the glass doors that led into a train station. 

“Hold on,” he grabbed her by the waist as darkness enveloped them and she soon felt a heavy wind sweep up under the hem of her shirt and she was greeted with a much, much taller view of Twilight Town as the darkness disappeared. Looking down, she saw the tall drop that would await her if she stepped off the ledge and she instinctively took a step back. Roxas still had a hand wrapped around her and he held her more tightly when he saw her weariness. “Don’t worry,” he told her, “I won’t let you fall.”

They both took a seat and he set aside his board as he sat with both legs dangling over the side. She did the same and felt the wind rush between her calves like a delicate sigh. 

“So, this is what you did back in the day?” Lady faced the sunset, eyes squinting slightly at the way the large flaming orb met her line of sight head on. 

“Yeah,” he said, memories coming back to him that were unpleasant in nature. “Back in the Organization. Axel took me here after a mission and it sorta became a habit to meet up at this spot every time we were done working.”

“When you worked for Xemnas,” she eyed him for reactions that would tell her he was uncomfortable. “Did you hate it?”

“No. I didn’t hate it or love it. I just sorta didn’t care,” he shrugged. “What else could I have done anyways? Not like I had family or friends that wanted me back home anyways.”

Lady put her head on his shoulder, leaning into him for support. “I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t be,” he was very aware of her head on him and froze, not wanting to move it in the slightest. “It’s in the past.”

No words could have accurately explained the pain she felt for him and he couldn’t amply describe what it was like either. Not that he cared to. The previous members from the castle never talked about it either but he assumed they all felt the same about their days in the Organization. Dull and dark and agonizing. All those days he spent alone were all that he knew since his conception. Endless nights of staring into a void with the only source of light coming from a moon shaped like the very thing they lacked and coveted. 

358 days. He counted them all, one-by-one. The total amount he spent staring into the void. 

“But that all changed when I met you,” he finished his thought aloud and she raised a brow at him. “You were the first person besides Axel and Xion- the first  _ real  _ person that was nice to me.” 

She turned her head to leave a light kiss on his shoulder. “I still remember that day like it was yesterday,” the memory of Roxas first appearing at her doorstep made her smile. “The fact that we’re here now, it makes me happy.”

He smiled too. “I kept my promise.”

“Hm?”

“That I would take you here someday, to Twilight Town and watch the sunset together,” he said and closed his eyes. “I was supposed to bring you here before but-“ 

But he was forced to fight her.

“I know,” she removed his head from his shoulder and her eyes seemed to be looking somewhere farther than the sun. “But like you said- it’s in the past. Let’s focus on each other right now.”

Roxas faced her as she continued staring beyond. “Do you still see me as a kid?”

Even as he spoke her eyes never left the sky. “What do you mean?”

“Three years ago, remember what I asked you?”  _ If you’d wait for me, _ he thought with blue eyes gazing at the side of her face.  _ I’m not a kid anymore.  _ His eyes moved down and he saw her hand sitting on the edge by her thigh and he held his breath. His own hand inched towards hers, moving ever so slowly towards the end goal of holding it. He stopped when he felt a corridor being opened up and he glanced behind him just in time to see one open up as a head of blue and red hair appeared through it to which his face twisted in annoyance. 

“Hey guys!” Lea popped up and came in the middle of Roxas and Lady, setting himself down as the two were forced to scoot apart to accommodate him while Isa occupied the spot on the other side of her. “Look who got ice cream!”

Four sets of popsicles on a stick were held in his hand to which he passed one to each of them. Roxas took it but not without a begrudging glare meant for the redhead. Lady took two and passed one down to Isa before giving a tentative lick. Her eyes squeezed shut as the saltiness came through but she opened them back up when the sweetness replaced it and she sighed. It was refreshing. 

“It’s nice, isn’t it?” Isa asked her and she nibbled on hers. 

“Yeah,” her tongue ran up the side to catch a melting drop. “It’s pretty good.” 

“Told ya,” Lea grinned. “It’s the best,” he said after taking a whole bite out of it, making her appear alarmed. 

“Sorry I’m late!!”

Yet another corridor opened behind them and out stepped Xion who stopped herself, unzipping her lab coat and tossing it back into the darkness before sitting herself between Lea and Lady, forcing him and Roxas scoot over to make space. A chocolate cone was in her hand and she began nibbling it as Lea eyed the deviant piece of ice cream. 

“What’s that?” He asked. 

“Chocolate,” Xion said as she took a bite off the waffle cone. “Wanted to try another flavor today.”

Lea looked absolutely crestfallen and betrayed as he stuck the now cleared popsicle stick in his mouth and folded his arms.

“You finally get to come here with us,” Xion grinned and wrapped an arm around Lady’s. “I’m so glad!”

“It’s nice up here, I can see the appeal,” she chuckled and nibbled the remaining pieces of her sea-salt ice cream. “Long day?”

“Sorta,” Xion huffed, her black hair tickling Lady’s shoulder as she leaned on it with an exhausted look. “What about you? Anything happen?”

“No,” a subtle smile appeared on her lips. “Not really.”

“What was that call earlier, the one that seemed urgent?” Isa asked her. 

“Ah, false alarm,” she replied. “Sorry about that.” 

“Geez, with the way you got up though? Made it seem like the end of the world,” Lea said, now on his back with his arms crossed behind his head. 

She laughed out loud, “If it was, I’d tell you.” 

To the side, Roxas finished off his ice cream and watched the sky turn a darker shade of orange. He didn’t get his chance now. Looking to them laughing, he saw Lady smiling throughout the stories they told her and relaxed a bit. He would get another chance later and then he’d tell her, for sure. 


	26. XXVI

Roxas heard the faucet of his bathroom turning off. Water dripped onto the tile floor and he heard bare feet padding on it before the door opened and he got up with squinted eyes to see who it was. 

“Lea..” he started, eyes not completely open. “How many times I gotta tell you to stop using my shower???”

A feminine giggle made him freeze and made his eyes open up more until he saw a lithe body drenched in water and twilight. 

“I had to,” Lady apologized. “Lea was using mine earlier.”

“Yeah he does that,” he grumbled, throwing the sheets off his lap and placed his legs over the side. The t-shirt he wore was old and something he dug up from the depths of his drawer. It was an old shirt from the time he spent here after he moved out from the Alstroemeria and it certainly seen better days. Initially he didn’t care, but now as she peeked out the window with the small towel covering her body- he wished he had something better suited to his adult body. “His hair clogs up the shower drain a lot. So he showers anywhere else except his.”

“Oh?” She flashed him an amused smile and his heart skipped a beat. “Him and Isa’s hair combined must deal horrible damage to the drain.”

“It does,” Roxas said. “Trust me.” He watched her as subtly as he could as she leaned out, watching the townspeople walk down below unknowing as someone watched above. “You’re gonna fall,” he said, getting up towards her and made ready to grab her in case she did. “Be careful.”

“I can fly,” she reminded him with a wink. “Don’t worry. Besides, it’s only two stories up.”

“Yeah but,” he sighed. “Your towel might fall off.”

“That would make someone’s day wouldn’t it?” She laughed loudly, gaining some attention from the people below and she cheekily waved at them. “Did you eat yet?”

“No,” he said as he pulled her out of sight from the townspeople and took one last look of the rooftops drenched in eternal twilight before closing the window latch. He was always told this specific part of the world was favored by someone once, long ago. At the time, Axel claimed this place was enchanted to stand still in twilight forevermore because that person, or founder, enjoyed this time of day the most. There wasn’t more to that tale than what Axel told him back in his days in the Organization. Not like any other members were willing to give Roxas a small lesson in history anyways let alone speak to him unless necessary. Not like any of them cared about each other back then. “I can go get you something from the bistro in town real quick.”

“Aw, you don’t wanna go together?” Another grin passed by her face and he turned to make sure she didn’t see the subtle rose color that appeared on his cheeks. “Guess that’s a no.”

“I don’t mind,” he quickly corrected her. “Well, you might need some clothes.”

She got close, close enough to whisper in his ear. “And here I thought I could go into town naked,” she laughed. “Don’t worry. I’ll be decent.”

The back of his neck felt hot and continued to remain in that state even after she left his room. 

He opted for a cold shower. 

*******

“Hey so, any updates on your end about our situation?” Zack asked Yuffie who shrugged. 

“Beats me,” the ninja huffed. 

“I thought Wutai people were supposed to be good at infiltration?” 

Yuffie frowned. “And I thought SOLDIERs were supposed to be great at gathering intel?”

Zack leaned back in his chair. “Got me there.”

At the same time, Cloud and Red entered the bar and he straightened up as the blond approached. “Got something that might interest you guys.”

“A lead?” Zack asked. 

“Yes,” Red responded for him. “Or something close to it.”

“But it’s better than nothing,” Cloud muttered. “Some guy in Sector 6 runs a bunch of casinos, underground fighting rings, arms dealers, you name it.”

“Oh, you mean Don Corneo?” Tifa looked up from the bar. “Everyone knows that already.”

Cloud pouted slightly with lips thinned, looking embarrassed before placing his facade of stoicism back on. “Well everyone thinks he gets his money from Shinra, but-“

“Reeve hasn’t seen anything from the personal coffers of Shinra’s executives drain. So…” Red looked up at all of them expectedly with a self-satisfied flick of his tale. When no one responded, he sighed. “It means that someone else is funding them.”

“Deepground!” Tifa answered finally and Red nodded. 

“So what are we waiting for?” Yuffie got up. “Let's go ask this don some questions!”

“Wait,” Cloud put a hand up. “If we go storming in there, that’s going to be bad news. Who knows what we’ll find? We should be more careful about this.” His eyes then went up to the bartender who had a fist under her chin, “Tifa? What’s up?”

“Well this may seem silly, but,” she stopped and made a face. “I heard from one of the people who work in Sector 6 that the don has this little event every night. He picks three girls for some sort of.. ‘audition’.”

“Three girls?” Yuffie crossed her arms. “That sounds perfect! Me, you, and Aerith could get in!”

Tifa hesitated. “The Don has certain tastes, Yuffie. The only reason why I know that is because the person who told me that was trying to scout me.”

“‘Certain tastes’?” Yuffie frowned. “What do you mean-” she stopped abruptly and stared at Tifa’s chest then to her own before a large scowl crossed her face. “Hmph,” she said as she sat back down with crossed arms to hide her chest. “Whatever Boobs, then let’s ask Lady.”

“No,” Cloud interjected. “Did you forget that she’s one of their prime targets? We might as well be handing her over tied up in a ribbon for them if we do. No doubt the don’s men would recognize her too.”

To punctuate her point, Red grabbed a rolled up parchment on the floor and got on the table with his front paws to drop it. Zack took it and rolled it down, revealing an illustration of Lady with a rather hefty bounty placed on the bottom in bolded black ink. He let out a low whistle when he saw the amount of zeros at the end of the number. 

“Damn, we could all retire forever if we cashed this in,” he muttered before passing it to Yuffie. 

The ninja swiped it from him and her eyes widened in wonder. “Geez.. this could rebuild Wutai if I had that much..”

“Guys,” Tifa scolded them with a look. “Stick to the plan. If we can’t invite Lady to go with us, how about just me, Yuffie, and Aerith?”

“No,” Cloud rejected the notion again. “They were looking for Aerith too, remember? We can’t risk any of you going in alone.”

“Cloud,” Tifa sighed. “I can take care of myself.”

“What? No, I- that’s not what I meant,” the blond mercenary tripped over his own words. “I’m just saying there’s too many risks. If the Don works with Deepground, they probably have access to soldiers and not just any run-of-the-mill types.”

“Well what then?” 

Zack looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully and his eye brightened up as well as his smile. “I got an idea!” he leaned forward and motioned for Cloud to get closer to whisper in his ear. As he spoke, the blond’s face reddened and he stepped back. 

“Absolutely not,” Cloud said, face flushed with heat. 

“We have to, we can’t let Lady and the other girls always do the work,” Zack looked absolutely serious. “We just need to ask one more person.”

“But  _ that _ ?” Cloud appeared mortified. “That’s just..”

“C’mon, I think I know just who to ask!” Zack ignored him and pulled his arm along, dragging him out of the bar and towards the side path. Making sure no one was behind them, he knocked on the steel door etched into the rocky wall and only waited a few seconds before Angeal opened the door with an irritated squint of his eyes. 

“Yes?” his ex-mentor asked and Zack pushed past him to get inside the safe house. 

“We got a plan, I need you guys to hear me out,” Zack announced loudly. 

“Gods,” Genesis held his head in his hand as he sipped from the mug in his other. “Can’t this wait? And can you lower your voice?”

“Sorry,” Zack grinned sheepishly. “This is perfect though, I was looking for you.”

“Me?” Genesis set his mug down. “For what reason?”

Zack marched over to Genesis, bending down to whisper in his ear as Cloud remained at Angeal’s side and watched with mortification still present in his face. “What’s going on?” Angeal asked him. 

“It’s..” Cloud shook his head. “I don’t even wanna say.”

Angeal cocked a smile. “Is it that bad?”

Genesis slammed his mug down after he took another sip that he nearly choked on. “ _ Absolutely not!” _

“That’s what I said too,” Cloud muttered. 

“But if you don’t come then the girls will have to go!” Zack whined. “And Lady will be with them, you don’t want to see her hurt right? We’d be marching her into a trap if she did!”

Genesis grimaced, muttered something under his breath and stared at his reflection in the warm liquid reflection in his mug. Closing his eyes, he sighed. “Why couldn’t you have asked Sephiroth?”

“Sephiroth is too tall,” Zack stated it as if it were obvious. “And Angeal’s too beefy.”

“Excuse me?” Angeal looked back from the toast he was making. 

“That’s a good thing,” the blue-eyed puppy shot him a sorry look before returning his attention back to Genesis. “C’mon, please!! If not for the team, then for Lady!”

Genesis inhaled deeply, focusing on how Angeal’s toast scraped loudly with every buttering motion of the knife. Normally a calling to save the woman he cares for a great deal of trouble would be right up his alley. But this? He set his mug down again. This was something else entirely. 

“You said Don Corneo’s involved?” His voice was edged with steel as he asked Zack and the other nodded eagerly at seeing his plan close to fruition. Genesis knew who this self-proclaimed ‘Don of the Slums’ was. A greedy, fat little man with fingers rolled like sausages with thick gold bands to section them off into links. Back when he was still working within Shinra confines, he caught wind of a man who was also on Shinra’s payroll before- a man who resided in Sector 6. He only saw a picture once and summed up his appearance into one word: grotesque.

The thought of Don Corneo choosing Lady and running his grubby little fingers all over her made him tighten his fist. No way he would let that happen. 

“Fine,” the crimson soldier sipped his now lukewarm tea again. “I’ll do it,” he made his point clear by slamming his abused mug back down again with more force than usual.

*******

Sector 6 was as lively as Genesis remembered it. Larger-than-life neon signs planted a headache and the increasing noisy crowds gave him an even bigger migraine. A passing woman with heels too high and a shirt that cut too low stopped him, eager to get his number to which he bluntly stated he had no phone and stepped around her to catch up with Cloud and Zack.

Crowds made Genesis a bit apprehensive, though he never would admit that out loud. Something about the endless eyes that never seemed to stop looking his way. It unnerved him. 

“Where are we going?” Genesis asked once he caught up with a few long strides and a sidestep to avoid another woman who looked at him with wanting eyes. He only wore a black v-neck long sleeve and dark jeans, his version of plainclothes to appear as normal as the civilians around him. He still kept his silver earring hanging on his right ear and hair that was groomed as always. 

“To the Honeybee Inn,” Zack grinned with an excited glint in his eye.

Genesis frowned. “Isn’t that a brothel..”

“No, it’s a lounge and stage,” Zack corrected him, going on the defensive. “You guys will like it, trust me! Hopefully Andrea’ll take a liking to one of you.”

“Who’s Andrea?” Cloud asked. 

“One of the Don’s ‘trio’. If we get in good with all three of them, it gives us more of a chance for a confrontation. Good plan, huh?”

The crowds shifted as they descended a narrow alley with cement stairs slick with spilled alcohol and a pool of chunky liquid that suspiciously looked to be the remains of someone’s lunch. Genesis inherently groaned. He hated it here. The stench of alcohol and sin was too much for him, not that he minded it in other settings- but this place? He wouldn’t be here unless he didn’t have a choice. This place was best summarized as the other residents of Midgar described Sector 6: 'A great place to find ways to pass your lonely nights.'

“So there’s Andrea, but what about the other two?” Cloud weaved the crowd behind Zack. 

“Well,” Zack looked behind with a nervous smile. “I kinda already got in with this dude named Sam thanks to Tifa. It just leaves you two.”

“If it doesn’t work out, you’ll have to do all the work,” Genesis said. 

“I don’t mind,” he shrugged. “A mission’s a mission!.. But this is gonna suck though.”

“Agreed,” Cloud nodded his head solemnly as the three of them stood in front of the Honeybee Inn. An intensely bright, neon-lit star that looked rather unassuming on the outside with only a curtain serving as a sort of entrance to whatever was within. But as soon as the three of them stepped inside, using only the back of each hand to brush away the heavy curtain, they were shocked to find that the inside was much more luxurious than portrayed on the exterior. 

Velvet couches lined the cushioned walls as modernized coffee tables sat with vases of gold-dipped flowers wrapped in a bunch in the center. Posters of past performances, both legendary and awe-inspiring lined near the front desk strategically. Girls with tight, black leotards swayed their hips as they strode past them, striped yellow-and-black leggings shaping the outline of their thighs; at least one of each giving a wink and playful smile that was meant for either Cloud, Zack, or Genesis before disappearing to seek patrons with a flutter of their faux bee wings. Their eyes were smoldered with black liner and a touch of gold on the inner corner, imitating honey that lured the hungry bear. Following the girls were the boys, equally as attractive and dolled up; their top hats with golden filigree and eyelashes dusted with gold mascara that flaked into gold freckles upon their cheeks; white dress shirts tucked into their black pants with a black vest with pointed tailcoats swaying well below their knees. One of them grinned suggestively at Genesis to which he looked away until he felt the attention was gone. 

Zack stopped abruptly, looking around. “Where should we- ah,” he approached the front desk and the immaculately groomed man behind it. “Hey we’re here to see one Andrea Rhodea.”

The man looked up, his side swept hair not even moving an inch as he did. “Oh! We’ve been awaiting your arrival,” his voice lowered to a mutable whisper, “Mr. Zack. Please take your friends to the stage, the show will start very soon.”

“Sweet,” Zack grinned. “C’mon you two, let’s mosey.”

Following him through the club, the other two had a sneaking suspicion that this wasn’t Zack Fair’s first time here. When asked about it though, he merely shrugged and fired back with a ‘does it matter? This place isn’t that hard to navigate, relax.’ 

A round room with a large, gilded statue of a girl in a bee costume was adorned on top of a fountain spilling water from golden flowers with small engraved bees buzzing about the liquid surface and suspended with translucent string. Couples lined up near the edge, some men who were standing alone and looking for company to evade empathetic and sorry stares while some girls buzzed about looking for someone’s arm to grab hold of. Out of the corner of his eye, Genesis stopped and suddenly grabbed at Zack and Cloud’s shoulder, shoving them behind a pillar. 

“What’s the big idea-” Zack started but was shushed as Genesis held a hand up along with a stern glare. Once he quieted down, he motioned for them two to look at the direction he pointed at with a subtle gesture of his chin. From where they were standing, they saw a pudgy old man with thinning grey hair sprouting up into a short plume in the middle of his shiny head as well as from the tops of his ears. His suit was the color of mustard and his smile oozed with enthusiasm, more so than the girl who was walking beside him with a forced smile. 

“Palmer..” Zack scowled. Palmer was the head of the Space Program division in Shinra, though, it was always seen as a failure as space exploration wasn’t something this world saw much of.. At least  _ they _ didn’t. “Dude looks like a frog.”

“Indeed,” Genesis shared his sentiment. “No doubt here to hunt down insects to eat,” he remarked as he watched the executive go into a room with one of the girls, trying to listen in but didn’t hear over the crowd’s banter. 

As soon as the doors closed, Cloud moved towards the door and after looking behind his shoulder- he knelt down and peeked inside through the keyhole. Passing only half a minute, Cloud quickly retreated and half-jogged towards them. “Guy’s a total weirdo,” he confirmed. “He’s just chasing that girl around with a whip. Should we take care of him?”

“No,” Genesis frowned. “Unless you want to cause a scene, then be my guest. Let’s just get what we came for and get out.”

“Let’s get a move on then, the show’s about to start I think,” Zack said with hands on his hips before he moved to where the crowds were filing into a line to squeeze into another room that widened upon entry. Rounded seats with couches curling up around their circumference lined the rooms. Hexagonal lights dotted the room in the pattern of a raised honeycomb; girls with trays gracefully dodged customers while they hurried to deliver drinks while others rushed to smooth down their costumes and rush to the back where a hidden door to under the stage lay. As soon as they got through, arms linked with theirs and they looked to see three honeygirls, one for each of them, pull them towards the table at the very front. 

Giggling as they did, the three guys were powerless as they were ragdolled into the cushions as their respective honeygirls slid next to them with beaming smiles and painted lips.

“Ooh, Andrea never told us you three were so handsome,” one with long blonde hair fluttered her lashes at Cloud. 

“I love your eyes,” another gasped, her dark eyes taking in every inch of Zack’s face. “Are they..glowing?”

In the dim lighting of the stage room, the three of them instinctively tried to lower their face in an attempt to disguise their origins but the third girl handing off Genesis’ arm laughed loudly before pressing her lips dangerously close to his ear. “It’s okay, we already know who you guys are,” she backed away. “We’re here to help, remember?”

Then the room darkened even more and a soft mechanical whir was heard as the ground on the stage split and another platform raised with multiple honeyboys and girls lining the comb with flashy costumes and pretty faces. They leaped off the platform with stretched legs and arms as someone on the bottom caught them before throwing them up into a synchronized jump and catching them. Spotlights spun around on the floor, illuminating the ones caught in its beam into a circle before all of them focused on the spot at the very top of the platform where a flower began to rise from the depths. The music was brought to a crescendo just as the flower bloomed and out stepped a man wearing all black, greeted with confetti and glitter and applause. 

He was muscular and lean, with a closely shaved head and trimmed beard detailing his sharp jawline. A lattice of black velvet crossed his chest that held together the bodysuit clinging tightly to his form but flared out towards his legs over his polished black dance shoes. In the group of honeybees, surely he must’ve been the queen bee: Andrea Rhodea himself. His dark brown eyes searched the crowd until he saw what he was looking for then descended from his flower using one of the extended petals. 

The spotlights followed him till he reached the end of the dance floor and shone brightly on the three men sitting at the table, appraising them one-by-one. 

Then, to Cloud’s horror, watched as the man took a finger and pointed directly at him. 

Beckoning him, Cloud was then pushed out of the seat and dragged towards the stage by two dancers. He swiftly dodged them, pulling his arms out of reach and turned to Zack with a worried look on his face. ‘Help me’, his eyes seemed to say, but his friend didn’t get the message- or he did and he didn’t care, because all he did was wave with a goofy smile plastered on his lips. 

The honeygirls pulled him back onto the stage, unwillingly as Andrea circled him, appraising him slowly. “Hm yes,” his voice purred, deep and coated with browned sugar. “You seek my approval, do you?”

“Uh,” Cloud looked to Zack who nodded enthusiastically. 

But before he could respond completely, Andrea held a finger to Cloud’s lips. “I understand,” he said with a wink. He released him with a flick and strutted back towards the middle, before striking a pose and turning towards him, “But those who crave my favor must first prove that they know how to move.” 

On his command with a snap, his backup dancers moved with him, sliding their hands up their body as their hips moved in tandem. Twirling on their feet and shifting to the left, Andrea winked at him again, leaving Cloud rather flustered. Shaking his head, the blond merc turned around to leave before getting grabbed by another set of honeyboys. He looked pleadingly to the two soldiers this time. “Zack. Genesis.  _ Please. _ ”

“No can do!” Zack yelled back as Genesis silently smiled. “Take one for the team. C’mon Cloud, make me proud!” 

Cloud gave him a tight-lipped look and sighed heavily before turning back to the stage to see Andrea with an expectant smile. He pointed to a spot next to him, void of dancers except for a clear spotlight indicating where he should stand. With one last resigned shake of his head, Cloud walked towards the spot and stood there awaiting instruction. Andrea strutted towards him, giving him a pat on the shoulder as he passed and Cloud turned at his behest. 

If there was one thing the merc was good at, he was damn good at mimicry. How else could he have picked up on Zack’s sword skills so fast?

Right as he spun on his heel, his body seemed to know what to do. All he had to do was copy Andrea right? He watched the previous dancers enough to know what to do if it came down to giving a freestyle. His hand became clasped between the man’s palms as he moved his body in the wave-like form that the other did. It was a game of which the merc followed the queen bee’s lead. 

Spinning him back around, their arms moved in tandem in the same motions as if they were reflections. Hips swayed side to side as his hand traveled up in a tantalizing trail up his chest before flicking up, feeling the sides of his hair before hanging up in the air and coming back down to place on his knee as he moved his leg in. He only knew his performance was rather good according to Zack’s encouragement. His friend cheered, clapping loudly as Genesis watched on with muted amusement. For a moment though, he swore Zack took out his phone and he dreaded a picture- but his attention was commanded back to the dancefloor as the lights dimmed, drowning the room in violet. 

Andrea nodded approvingly to the slowed down beat, bringing his hand to his hips as Cloud did the same. Together their bodies went side-to-side in slow, languid movements as Andrea turned around to stretch his body down to touch the toe of his left leg. He moved up diagonally and pointed towards Cloud who caught the figurative throw and suddenly remembered Lady’s words when she caught him training once: “Don’t be so stiff! Your body won’t like that.”

The same could be said for dancing, moving his hands up to trail his fingers by his neck as he twisted them above his head to form a tangle of limbs before unwinding them and arching his back to throw the spotlight back to Andrea. The man twirled gracefully, taking one arm behind his head and stretching his hand towards Cloud who struck the same pose; his back muscles being shown as his skin became taut across his back when he flexed his arm. 

“Yeah Cloud, work it!!!” Zack screamed from his seat and Cloud refrained from saying anything back.  _ Gods this was embarrassing _ . 

The lights came back on, now bathing them in soft orange as the music’s tempo picked up the speed and he was forced to jump onto the beat as it rushed past him. When Andrea dropped down to the floor, Cloud did too. When Andrea swung his leg up before getting up and pushing back against the floor in such a suggestive motion, Cloud did too. And at last, Andrea linked arms with Cloud and spun around before they dropped down with a hand to the floor in one last finishing move to which the blond let out the breath he was holding. 

In front of the crowd, their faces darkened by the lack of light in this place- Cloud’s back rose and fell as he panted heavily. That dance was currently one of the most intense workouts he’d ever done in his life. 

“Very good,” Andrea chuckled deeply, walking over to trace a finger underneath Cloud’s chin as he staggered up. “Yes,” he said thoughtfully. as he spread his arms out. “Yes I will transform you into a vision of beauty!” 

Arms linked around Cloud’s and he soon found himself seated into a chair that seemed to come from nowhere. Around him, large feathered fans were lowered to conceal him from the rest of the crowd as a honeyboy applied something to his face. Something that felt wet and glossy, on his cheeks he felt powder being applied and extensions being added to his hair. A honeygirl passing by placed something on his head that wrapped to his ears as well as a set of rhombus-shaped earrings. How they got the clothes on him without making much of a fuss while removing his previous ones, he didn’t want to know. This seemed to be a thing he shouldn’t ask about. 

The honeyboy applying the colored gloss to his lips clapped once he was done, tracing the golden armrest as he circled to the back. Leaning over to whisper in Cloud’s ear, he said, “You were born for this.”

The red feathered fans that once concealed him were lifted and Cloud was helped from his chair as they revealed their handiwork to the crowd. 

Zack and Genesis were momentarily stunned, caught off-guard by the seemingly convincing disguise. 

There was Cloud in a dress.

In a dress that was the color of light lavender rimmed with black and white silk ruffles; his blond hair that was topped with a silver tiara was extended to soft curls falling past his shoulders; light makeup donned his face and made him look much more femme than usual. He seemed daze, blinded by the light as Andrea admired the end product. Walking over to him, he took him by the hand and spun him around before dipping him down low as Cloud hung over his arm at his mercy while confetti popped loudly atop them. 

Andrea smiled lovingly at him. “Perfection.”

Zack nudged Genesis. “How much do you think he would hate me if I took a picture right now?”

“I think he’d refuse to ever speak to you again,” Genesis replied back. “So this is your master plan?”

“Yup.”

“And what if it doesn’t work?”

“It will,” he insisted. “Just look at Cloud, I would mistake him for a girl if I didn’t know him.”

Genesis didn’t respond, merely looking at Cloud and a voice in the back of his mind convinced him that this hastily conceived plan might work out after all. The girl who still held onto his arm despite him trying to pull it away tugged on a strand of his hair. “You guys should go see Madame M now while the night’s still young.”

He frowned down at her. “Who’s ‘Madame M’?”

*******

A hand masseuse. That’s who Madame M was. A woman made tall with the wooden sandals she wore. Her body was partly concealed with a black kimono that trailed on the floor as she walked, it parted in front of her with her left leg revealed to whoever dared to look with trailing eyes. Her ink-black hair was done in an updo and her dark eyes looked up at Zack and Genesis with a bored glaze as she fanned herself. 

“So you’re the one Sam chose,” she said to Zack as she got closer, her steps loud with a clank of the wooden sandals. “Hm. You sure you boys know what you’re asking for?” 

“Yeah, of course,” Zack answered for both of them. “Soo how do we get started?”

Madame M’s eyes narrowed, scrutinizing them both and let out a drawn-out sigh. “Since you two are in a hurry I’ll let go of the usual chores. And a little birdy did tell me you two are friends with someone who did me quite a lot of favors back in the day..”

“Who would that be?” Genesis asked. 

Madame M smiled, only half of her mouth being pulled into the shape. “You know her very well. Your nameless soldier girl.”

“You’re talking about Lady?” Zack said. 

She gave them an affirmative wave of her fan. “Is that what she calls herself these days? But yes, I knew her as a bright-eyed recruit when she first joined SOLDIER. Her hair was a bit scruffy back then, please tell me the poor thing grew it out.”

“She did,” Genesis said with chin raised up, as if he was the one being insulted. 

Madame M caught this and smirked. “My my, and what is Lady up to these days?” When Genesis opened his mouth to speak, she cut him off with a blast of air from her fan. “I suppose it’s none of my business. Just be thankful she completed your tasks for you. Now then!” 

She turned around, looking at the two over her shoulders. “Let’s get started. You first.” Grabbing Zack by the wrist, he was taken aback at how strong her grip was as he was yanked towards the back. Fear filled his mako eyes as he looked back at Genesis who found a place to sit and patiently wait. 

*******

Zack shuffled up the stairs, his chest tightly compressed with the dark blue corset top he wore. Around his legs was the long black skirt of his dress which he struggled to keep out of the way of his black pumps. His hair was tied back with some extensions that dangled between his shoulder blades; his face was also done with some minor makeup and he felt his eyes burn at the fact that Madame M bothered to add false lashes to them. He kept blinking and felt the weight of the lash band irritating him as he did, poking his corneas that gave him the constant urge to reach up and rip them right off. Apparently some girls wore false lashes nearly every day. He couldn’t fathom having these weigh down his lids for ten minutes- let alone a day. 

She hit him with her fan just before he left when she chastised him to "walk more lady-like” and so he did his best. He struggled to breathe as he climbed the stairs leading up towards the Don’s place, gathering whistles and looks from nearby men with wandering eyes. 

“That’s one cute chick,” one said. “As cute as the blond one we saw earlier.”

Zack stifled a snort. He knew the ‘chick’ they were talking about and he couldn’t wait to let ‘her’ know. 

When he passed by the bar and the colosseum, he saw Cloud waiting patiently at the top of the stairs with his hands tucked in front of him obediently. Cloud saw him and a breath of air expelled from his lungs, making him relax as Zack came closer. 

“Nice dress,” Cloud remarked. 

“Same for you,” Zack grinned. “Now we just have to wait for Genny.”

“Who?”

“You know.. Genesis. He looked irritated when Madame M dragged him to the back.”

“I know how he feels.”

“Hey, this isn’t so bad!”

“For you, maybe.”

“For what it’s worth, I didn’t know you were such a good dancer.”

Cloud remained silent. “Don’t tell anyone. Please.”

“Oho, gotta keep up the ‘cold merc persona’? I got you,” Zack shifted in his pumps. “It doesn’t hurt to reach out to friends somethings though, you realize that?”

“..Yeah.”

“We’re all here for you Cloud,” he grinned. “Especially Tifa and Aerith.”

Cloud tossed him a confused look. “What do you mean?”

“Geez you’re dense. You still don’t know?”

He was more agitated. “Don’t know what?” After Zack’s smug silence, he narrowed his eyes at his friends. “Well you know Genesis glares at you when you get too handsy with Lady.”

“Yeah, I know,” he grinned. 

“You piss him off on purpose?”

“Why not?” Zack shrugged. “It’s fun. Ah- what’s that?”

Whistles from nearby onlookers echoed below on the steps as men crowded into large congregations. Something was clearly attracting their attention and gathering them to the point where they shoved each other to get a better look. Through the heads, Zack and Cloud saw an auburn-haired maiden with long tresses going down her back. A long crimson dress hung off her shoulders that ruffled around the bottom hem with a rose pattern sewn into the sash around her waist. Golden jewelry hung around her neck and ears and whenever she took a step, her red heels were revealed along with the stocking covered leg. Blood red lipstick was carefully applied to her mouth along with a thin application of dark taupe eyeshadow that enhanced the dusk blue color of her irises. She was beautiful, an absolute stunner of a woman. 

Zack had his mouth agape then closed it when he remembered. “Damn. Genesis looks good as a girl.”

“Don’t let him catch you saying that,” Cloud scoffed. 

Genesis glared at the man who tried to ask for his number and the man hung his head in defeat and stepped aside so he could get through. Climbing the stairs while holding the front of his dress with two pinched fingers, he had a steely look on his face as he brisked past them and towards Don Corneo’s place. 

“Genny, wait up!” Zack huffed as both he and Cloud picked up their dresses to catch up. At the mention of his female persona’s name, Genesis shot him an intense glower that could freeze over hell. 

“I detest this,” Genny said between two pouted red lips. 

“But you’re doing this for Lady remember?” Zack reminded him. “No backing out now.”

“Shut. Up.”

Past the first gate was another that led into a courtyard filled with items that could only be described as junk. A food cart stood vacant of any edible items to the right while the rest was filled with a gong complete with a clothed mallet, and other items that Genesis couldn’t bother to rack his mind to name them properly. Three men stood at the other gate, two of which wore their open leather vests with the marking of the Don on their backs while the one in the middle, the one with silver hair hanging below a black cap, eyed them wearily. He dressed more modestly than the ones he stood next to, with black knee-length pants with animal print trimming the hem; to accompany it, a matching jacket that was rolled up at the elbows with a plain white shirt underneath. 

At their arrival, the two members dog-whistled at the sight. “Looks like we got some real babes this time, huh Les?”

“Yeah, we can let them in right?” the other nudged the one in the middle. “C’mon Leslie.”

“No can do,” the one named Leslie said, his voice bored. “You know the rules,” he said with yellow eyes glaring at the two other men before turning to Genesis. “Need to see the approval letters.”

“Here!” Zack attempted to force his voice to go higher and at first, his voice was surprisingly deep before he raised an octave, gaining odd looks from the gate guards. He smiled nervously as Leslie as the young man rifled through them briefly, yellow eyes scrutinizing each written stroke. 

He briefly glanced up at them, their facade as clear as day to him. “You sure you three want to do this?”

“Yes,” Genesis said, not bothering to raise the pitch in his voice. “Now will you let us through?” 

Leslie’s yellow eyes twitched in irritation and he pocketed the letters. “Your funeral,” he moved to the side and gestured for them to go through the door. “The Don will see you shortly. Make sure you don’t do anything stupid.”

Genesis shot him one last concealed sneer before opening the door with a hand to be blinded with the lights within the building. Even more junk lay within, the only difference was how much more valuable it was. Corals encased in resin lay within, folding screens depicting mountains and trees were scattered everywhere, large orbs laying in cushions were dotting the floors like polka dots along with other things that was surely plundered via illegal means. It just looked like a palatial version of a rat’s nest to which the rat didn’t know how to properly place the junk he’d gathered. 

If it wasn’t clear that the Don was working with someone or something powerful in means of money and influence- it was now. 

“Hey you three, go up to the room on the far left!” One henchmen barked at them. “Don’t snoop around!”

They were relayed to go up the stairs and passed by two doors until they reached the end of the landing as they were instructed. Genesis went first, leading them into yet another cluttered room. A set of wardrobes, desks, and shelves lay about as if the owner couldn’t make up what aesthetic he was aiming for when decorating this hideous place. Cloud and Zack looked around them in curiosity and resigned to doing as they were told in the first place: to wait. 

Pacing, Zack adjusted his ponytail and froze, looking up at them with panicked eyes. “You guys smell that?”

Cloud and Genesis sniffed the air, smelling something sweet drift down from the vents above. Immediately, all three of them covered their mouths and noses as Zack rushed to the door and brought his shoulder against it. Upon impact, he coughed and cursed as he inhaled more of the stuff. “Shit!”

“Move over,” Genesis commanded him, fire already building up in his palm. “I’ll get us out of here.”

“Wait!” Cloud stepped in between them. “We came here for a reason. It’d be bad if we caused a scene now.”

Lowering his palm, Genesis coughed, the red of his lipstick staining his hand. “Damn them..” he stumbled back onto a desk, barely catching himself. In front of him, Zack held onto the wall and slid down on its surface slowly; Cloud hung onto a shelf, lowering himself gradually as his eyes appeared half-lidded. Before any of them lost their consciousness completely, two of the Don’s men burst through the door. They wore gas masks and even through the clouded surface of their eye lenses, Genesis saw how they looked down at them with giddy hunger. 

“Damn, they weren’t lying when they said we got some fine women tonight!” One cackled, his voice muffled by the mask. 

“No kiddin’,” the other grabbed Cloud’s shoulder and yanked him up rather roughly. “C’mon now. Upsy-daisy…” 

“Hey! Handle with care, asshole!” The first one shoved the other. 

“The hell! You wanna throw down?!” The second raised his arms up, expecting a challenge.

“They’re Corneo’s girls, so if ya leave a mark on ‘em, you ain’t gettin’ off with a warning.”

“Yeah, I know.” 

“Managed to wrangle some real lookers this time though, know what I’m sayin’?”

Taking Cloud more gently, the other took a hold of Zack and gave Genesis a look as he passed. “Don’t worry baby girl, I’ll be back for you after I take this one down, ‘kay?”

Genesis’ mind was hazy and filled with what felt like cotton. His own tongue felt stiff and he couldn’t make the biting remark that was just on the tip. By the time he could make out the first word of ‘bastard’, he’d realize those goons were already gone from the room. He held his head in his hand, feeling a weight pushing his neck down as all feeling from his body seemed to numb out to the point where he could barely move his legs.  _ This is bad _ , he kept repeating to himself through the cotton-stuffed grey matter. He closed his eyes.  _ But at least she doesn’t have to go through this _ . 

The goon came back with a glint in his eye. “Come on pretty lady, let me take you to your suite.” Genesis was lifted up and he heard the man grunt. “Damn, you three are kinda heavy for girls.” Taking him down a flight of stairs, Genesis felt his vision fade. “If that other asshole wasn’t here, I’d want a tasting of you first, sweetheart. I wanna see what that pretty mouth of yours can do.”

Genesis was too far gone to say or do anything at that point and only allowed himself to be helped down this crypt by this degenerate. He reminded himself on who he was doing this for and this was better- but after all was said and done, he swore he would burn this place down to the foundation. 

*******

Genesis woke up to someone shaking him and at first he mumbled something rude and batted away the hand- until whoever it was shook him harder. His eyes shot open and he sat up. “What?!” he barked. He hated being woken up. 

“Damn it Gen, calm down!” A woman with Zack’s voice chastised him and he blinked to get the blurriness out from his vision. “Wake the hell up!”

Genesis blinked a couple more times. The past few hours weren’t a bad dream after all. Looking around him, he saw contraptions meant for torture hang from the ceiling along with boxes lining the stone walls. Iron maidens and standing cages that reminded him of old dungeons from the books he used to read as a kid. Indentations were made into the dark brick with a candle placed in them to provide what illumination was available, which to say, was not a lot. And of course, in par with the rest of the don's place, was a load of junk everywhere. 

Not that far from him, Cloud staggered to get up. Using his knees to hold himself up, he glanced at his surroundings and made a face. Adjusting his tiara, he brushed the dust off his dress as they found their bearings and huddled in a three-pointed circle. “What now?” he asked them. 

“Was it necessary to drug us?” Genesis said, his tone biting. 

“Imagine how many girls they did this to..” Zack trailed off, staring at the floor. “We should do something about this guy.”

“Is that even a smart idea?” Cloud said. 

“After we interrogate him, he would let his masters know what happened,” Genesis cut in. “Better to end his life right after.”

“By what?” Zack lifted up his empty hands. “We gonna pummel him to death?” To answer his question Genesis lifted his hand, a tiny flame dancing between his fingers with a raised eyebrow to which Zack nodded. “Wish we brought weapons or something.”

“We didn’t know it’d be this dangerous,” Cloud told him. “..But we should’ve.”

Static crackled over head and they looked up.  _ “Ahem, is this thing on- hellloooo ladies! You’re probably still sleepy but that’ll wear off, don’t worry. If you three would be so kind to walk up the stairs, the audition will start shortly!”  _ A voice said from an overhead speaker. 

“That’s our cue,” Zack said, adjusting his ponytail once again. “Are my lashes still on right?” he asked them as he hated to admit that he was already used to their weight on his lids. 

“Yeah,” Cloud nodded, rolling his shoulder. “Let’s get going.”

“Agreed,” Genesis took the lead once again. The area they were in did seem to serve as a crypt once upon a time as they passed by a coffin that was slid into a wall. After one uninterested glance, Genesis found another flight of stairs that he would have to suffer in heels. What a terrible fate he had. Going up, Genesis heard a gaggle of men just outside and prepared himself for the worst. Opening the door, eyes were immediately set upon them as they ogled the ‘girls’ with impressed catcalls and disgusting remarks. It was as if they shifted dimensions, erupting from an old dungeon back into the flashy dwelling of the don. The office like setting was constructed just like everything else in this damned place and it made him sick to his stomach of seeing this decor. In the corner of his eye, he swore he saw a stack of gold bars standing idly on a display shelf. 

“Okay my beautiful ladies!” The one with a blazen blond mohawk announced loudly, his beady eyes covered by dark shades. “Time to line up for the don!”

Lining up in a straight line with Zack to the far right, Genesis in the middle, and Cloud on the left- they waited for the audition to begin.

“Alright! Y’all good to go?” He grinned, dark skin illuminated by the paper lamps that hung on the ceiling. “Then let’s do this thing! Introducing Wall Market’s most eligible bachelor- the one and only.. Don Corneo!”

On cue, a fat head poked from the door. “Ladies,” he grinned, his greased moustache curled deviously above his upper lip. At the sight of them, he seemed to salivate at their appearances. “Nice.. Very nice!!” His hands were up, ready to grab with fingers curling excitedly. “Whichever one shall I pick?”

He sauntered over to them, going to Cloud first, “Shall I pick you?” He bent over, sniffing viciously. “Or maybe you?” he said as he passed over to Zack, licking his lips while admiring the strong body that lay just beneath the corseted velvet. At last, he appraised Genesis, seeing the strong shoulders with crimson straps falling off of them seductively. His lips curled into another smile, admiring the auburn-haired beauty before him. Reaching up to feel his shoulders, Corneo nodded and made noises of approval as he felt the lean muscle just below. 

Backing up, he eyed the three candidates once more with a smile. Turning around, he put a finger to his temple to mimic a man plagued with thought. From where he was standing, Genesis saw the heart shaped tattoo on Corneo’s head, complete with an arrow striking through it with the words ‘love’ tattooed on the bottom. As if it that was ever possible for a man like him. “Okay.. Today’s bride-to-be is..!”

“‘Today’s’?” Zack said aloud as Cloud made a face of disgust, almost completely forgetting that this was what the don did. 

“And tomorrow’s or the day after’s- if the don takes a shine to you,” the one with shades and blond mohawk said. 

“Disgusting,” Genesis hissed, clutching his own hand tightly. 

“Hey, which one of you said that?” Corneo turned around, beady eyes searching for the origin of the voice. He looked to Cloud who stretched his neck, adjusting the silk-frilled choker he had on then to Zack who battered his lashes then finally to Genesis who didn’t bother looking away. “Ohhh,” Corneo approached him. “You got a mouth on you! I’m gonna enjoy breaking it in!” he said with crawling fingers playing an invisible instrument mid-air. 

“Today’s lucky lady is this crimson babe!” The don grabbed at Genesis’ wrist and pulled him away, only to struggle to move him as Genesis merely stayed in place glaring daggers. “Still playing hard to get? I can dig it. Oh yeah.”

Reluctantly and begrudgingly, Genesis followed Corneo to the back room as Corneo whistled at his men. “The leftovers are all yours.”

The men cheered, pumping their fists in the air as the one with shades walked over to Cloud and Zack. “Hell yeah! Okay ladies, y’all coming with me.” 

Zack and Cloud shared one last look with each other before they saw the doors close behind Genesis and the other men dragged them out and into another room. 

*******

Heavy panting was heard behind him as Genesis sat on the edge of the bed with hands folded in his lap. Even though he took up enough space to sit himself comfortably, he still wanted to inch slowly off. Don Corneo was salivating and he could practically hear the drool drop down the edges of his lips and on the sheets that felt way too thick. “Don’t be shy, little kitten. Shimmy on over and give daddy some sugar!” 

The room was tasteless but cleaner than most of the ones he’d seen thus far. A large four poster bed was the main attraction here, but it didn’t take attention away from the treasured baubles the don kept closest to him- no doubt the most expensive items in the building. There was even a little karaoke machine with a couch to his left. It was also dark, with the lights a shade of red. In terms of psychology, red evoked the feeling of love and arousal. This was just another one of the don’s ploys to infuse his victims with unwilling feelings, just like the gas used to drug them earlier. 

One notable thing about the room was the stench, and he wasn’t talking about the don. It smelled like sewage in here and he wondered where it came from. 

Genesis grinded his teeth together, jaw locking as he heard the don crawl closer. “No need to play coy. Nobody here but you and me…” At the sound of a button pressing, a shutter clicked and a flash nearly blinded Genesis. Crawling to his side, the don admired his sharp features, “You’re even cuter than I thought!”

“Not another word, you wretch,” Genesis growled. 

“Ooh!” Corneo held his hand to his heart, rising up before falling backwards onto the bed. “This kitten’s got claws! I  _ love _ it!” he cried out as he pounded his fists and feet on the bed like a child. 

Another click of the shutter went off and Genesis glanced up. “That better not be what I think it is..” the auburn-haired man said. 

“Don’t you worry your pretty little head. Just a picture to preserve the moment!” Corneo was on the opposite side now, “And to ensure you don’t do anything  _ inappropriate _ like say ‘No’...”

“Degenerate,” Genesis said as he tightened his fists around the fabric of his dress. 

“Oh! Praise me more!” Corneo giggled as he fell back again, clearly having the time of his life while the soldier seethed and wondered how long he could play at this. 

“You know..” Corneo sat up, his belly rolling to the side as he adjusted himself. “You’re just as cute as that girl on the posters.”

Genesis’ ears perked up. “What girl on the posters?”

Corneo rolled off the bed, digging something from underneath the sheets and unrolling a parchment that crinkled and had thick, cleared residue on it. “This one here!” He showed him. “Since you’re so damned cute, I’ll show you- but it’s gotta stay a secret between us okay, sweet kitten?”

Genesis forced a smile. “Sure thing. Now tell me more about this..” his eyes glanced over the poster and Lady’s face that was printed on it with a rather large bounty on her. He feigned disinterest, “Tell me about this woman. Is she that important to you?”

“Ooh, getting a little jealous, my kitten? No need to fret,” he held the poster closely to his face. “You’re just as cute as her. But what I wouldn’t do to have a looksie at her in person,” he said, studying the etched features on the poster. “The things I would do to this one.. Mm-mm-mm!!” 

“Just what would you do? If she were here now?”

“You want to know, do you? Naughty naughty!” Corneo grinned. “But the big wigs told me I can’t do anything else. Just know the top dog wants her and promises a big stack of gil waiting for anyone who brings her in.” 

“Who is this ‘top dog’?”

“Chatty one, aren’t you? But that's a secret I can’t divulge..” He inched closer to where Genesis could smell the overpowering cologne he used. It made him nauseous. “Enough talk, let’s play.”

“Yes,” Genesis smiled. “Enough talk.”

*******

“Ayo, fellas, we’ve got guests!” The man with the blond mohawk and shades, who they now knew as ‘Kotch’, led them into a dingy room. Sleeping rolls were laid out on the floor, cardboard boxes were used as tables with playing cards on top of them as well as warm beer. Trash was scattered everywhere and the faint smell of ammonia and alcohol lingered in the air. “And y’all got first crack at ‘entertaining’ them!” 

The group of men in the room pumped their fists excitedly, whistling at Cloud and Zack and discussing loudly on what they wanted to do to them. “Courtesy of the ever-generous Don Corneo himself,” Kotch raised his hands up. “Never forget- the don provides,” he said, shooting finger guns at his colleagues.

“Cor-ne-ooooo!” The lackeys howled wildly, beating their chests as Cloud and Zack exchanged a look. 

“So, ladies.” A man with a dark green tunic approached them, his eyes also covered with dark shades. “Ready to..get to it?” 

“I dunno man,” Zack smiled innocently, fluttering his eyelashes. “You think you guys could take me on? How ‘bout you, Cloud?”

“It’s just four guys,” Cloud counted. “Nothing we can’t handle.”

“Yeah, let’s not keep Genny waiting too long.”

“Oho, I like this one!” The shaded man grinned, coming closer to Zack. When he did, he stopped and frowned. Lowering his shades, he squinted closely at his features. “Wait a minute..” his eyes then widened. “You’re a man!”

Zack immediately landed a punch to his gut, sending him backwards to the guy behind him. Cloud ducked as one tried to grab at him, then using his heel, stomped on his foot and brought his knee up to his chin. 

“Duck!” Zack yelled as Cloud hunched over while a black skirt ruffled above his head, sending another guy colliding with some cardboard boxes. Cloud then grabbed a guy by the head and bashed him against another, sending them ragdolling to the floor. 

The two got up, seeing if any others were twitching and unclenched their fists when no one moved. “C’mon,” Zack nudged Cloud, “Let’s save Genesis!”

Bursting out of the room and taking care of the ones that waited by the door for their turn; the element of surprise was on their side as Zack and Cloud quickly dispatched them of their weapons. Their heels slammed noisily against the wooden landing as they entered back into the room where their audition was held and they burst in where more lackeys met them with surprised yelps. Cloud dove out of the way of their guns as Zack leapfrogged over him and sent the empty magazine of the rifle he stole at one of the lackey’s heads before picking up the new rifle and shooting the rest with careful precision. 

Once they were all dealt with, Zack faced Cloud. “Do you think Vincent would be proud?” he said, motioning to the gun in his hands. 

“I don’t think he’d care honestly,” replied Cloud. 

“You’re probably right,” Zack tossed the gun to the ground. Cloud went ahead, kicking the door down that led towards Don Corneo’s bedroom with Zack following closely behind and they were both shocked to see what lay within. 

Don Corneo was suspended via magical tethers that glowed a deep red, deeper than the lights in the room. In front of him was Genesis with fury in his eyes and a mana and mako-infused whip in the other. 

“Last time,” Genesis glowered, his heel on the edge of the bed. “Who’s the one who put that bounty out?”

The don whimpered, struggling against the binds that wound around him tightly. “I already told you-”

“That wasn’t the answer I asked for!” The crimson soldier barked, lashing the whip dangerously close to Corneo’s face. “ _ Who  _ in Deepground set out that bounty and why do they want her so bad?” When Corneo didn’t answer fast enough, Genesis whipped closer to his face and left a red mark that leaked blood to the sheets below. 

“S-S-Shelke! Shelke the Transparent or something, you have to believe me!” Corneo struggled again. “I already gave you the thingy they gave me, but I never saw them in person- I swear!”

Genesis gripped a computer chip in his other hand and he closed his fist around it tightly. “You didn’t tell me what they want with her,” the tether creaked loudly in his hand, promising another hit. 

“I don’t know, really!” Corneo cried. “They just said they want to see some kinda power- O-Omega they called it. They’re gonna use that girl and other guy to wake Omega up!” 

Genesis gritted his teeth. Besides the Astrals that inhabited this plane, there were the three titans that once fought for control of the planet long, long ago. Jenova, Chaos.. and Omega. By the way Deepground have been attacking them, purposely luring out Lady and Vincent- their plan could come very close to completion. A war between three of the darkest powers inhabiting this world, everyone would be doomed. That’s if they managed to let Lady and Vincent’s inner demon truly go berserk, their fight wouldn’t end unless the other lay dead at their feet. 

“Why do you bad guys always try to destroy the world,” Zack sighed. “Can’t you be happy with this one?”

“That’s the thing, sweet girl,” Corneo chuckled nervously, he was still so painfully unaware of their disguise. “They promised that the pure souls would inhabit the new world with enough luxury to last a lifetime. After they wake up Omega or whatever and it wipes out every other living being.”

“Good to know,” Cloud stepped forward. “Now we know what they want.” 

Genesis’ brow knitted together and he released the don when Zack urged him. Once the tethers slithered off of him, the don fell to the bed and bounced on the cushion. “Sorry but,” his mako eyes glowed dangerously. “I don’t enjoy loose ends.” Raising his hand, a large flame slowly built up in the palm. 

“W-wait!” Corneo scrambled up as the three of them lined over the carpet in front of his bed, ready to take him down. “I need to ask you something. That’s fair, right?”

“What?” Zack said.

“We don’t have time for this,” Genesis snapped. 

“Please, this won’t take long!” Don Corneo stood up on his bed. “As everyone knows, villains only divulge their plans in a certain situation. But what  _ is _ that situation?”

Cloud raised a hand, index finger pointing towards him. “When they think they’ve already won...right?” 

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves a winner!” Corneo clapped, taking steps towards them before grinning maniacally as he did a little tango backwards. One of his hands rested on the head of a golden dragon at the head of the bed. “You get an all expenses-paid trip...to the sewers.”

The three of them didn’t have much time to react as they felt the floor gave way under them and they fell through. 

“Hee hee hahaha!” Corneo fell backwards onto the bed, cackling loudly. “Enjoy the sights and smells!” 

*******

Grey water dripped onto Genesis’ head, stirring him from slumber once more. Propping himself up, he nursed the headache forming in his temple as he struggled to get up. He looked to his side and saw Zack and Cloud passed out beside him, their dresses stained with the sewer water that slowly seeped into the fabric. Getting up, he winced when the headache intensified and bent down to shake the two awake. When they groaned in response, they sat up slowly. 

“What the hell..just happened?” Zack said, shaking his head. 

“We got duped,” Cloud answered plainly. 

“I’m going to kill him,” Genesis swore, looking around them for a way out but sadly- he saw none. Not unless you had wings. 

They stood on a large cement platform that was blocked off by walls and streams of sewage pipes that coursed the stuff loudly above them. There were platforms near the very top of the vaulted walls and he turned to the other two. “How good is your magic?” he asked them. 

“Not the best,” Zack admitted then looked to Cloud who merely shook his head. 

“If you have materia with you, then I’m decent at it,” the blond said. 

“I don’t,” Genesis clarified. “So you two aren’t proficient. At all. Perfect.”

“The sword’s more my thing,” Zack defended himself. 

“Well if you find a sword and a way to get us out of here, please notify me,” he sneered. “If not, then look for another way out.”

“Ugh,” Zack looked around them. “Is this what the don does? Drops people he doesn’t like into the sewer?” 

“We should’ve killed him on the spot,” Genesis muttered. “But that doesn’t matter now. We need to concern ourselves with securing an exit, otherwise we’ll be three dead bodies in dress.”

They searched and searched but only saw cement walls slick with sewage and rivers of grey liquid sloshing on the sides of the platform. There really was no other way out. Dim, fluorescent lamps lit up their surroundings, painting the room with more shadow than light and made their search for an escape that much harder. That is, until they heard something thump loudly in the distance. 

“You guys hear that?” Zack looked up towards one of the open pipes that spilled water from its mouth. “What do you suppose that is?”

His question was answered as the thumping got closer and closer until they saw something glowing in the darkness of the pipe. A large horn stuck out first followed by a snout, then a set of pointed ears close by a pair of yellow eyes that lacked pupils then finally, the long, curling tongue that flicked up towards its horn before coming back down. It spotted the three of them and jumped down, making the ground tremble under its massive weight. Slowly, it stood up straight to reveal its true size and all three of them craned their head back just to get a look at what was about to fight them. 

“Is this the don’s pet?” Zack murmured. 

“Yeah, and we’re the snack,” Cloud added. 

“Do you two truly not know  _ any _ magic. Not even a simple fire spell?” Genesis asked them, eyes never leaving the giant monster. Its pig-like face examined them like prey, much like his master. This beast was an ‘abzu’, a monster he found in the compendium he once studied long ago to find the most effective way to destroy them. He didn’t anticipate them to grow to this extent though, but luckily for them, the abzu was extremely vulnerable to fire.

“No.”

“No, sorry.”

“You call yourself a SOLDIER?” Genesis scowled, aiming that insult at Zack. “Don’t even know the beginner level of a spell by heart?”

“What do we do?” Zack said, ignoring him. They were all in their dresses still and Genesis already had two balls of flame in each of his hands, ready to fire. 

The monster roared loudly, its tongue flicking up spit as it launched itself towards them. Genesis’ jaw locked, he could throw up a barrier right now or go on the offensive while the head was lowered-  _ but that risks Cloud and Zack getting injured.  _ His grimace grew as he raised his hand and hexagons shimmered above them as the abzu slammed its giant fists against his protective shield. Already though, they saw the cracks forming on the shield and Genesis quickly thought of a way to alleviate this situation. 

The abzu brought its fist up again and slammed both of them back down on the shield, cracking and breaking it completely. They thought it would hit them, until a flash of red made them look up and they saw they were protected as a swarm of glowing red butterflies that appeared seemingly out of thin air. Fluttering about, they congregated before a large red beam drove the abzu back and away. 

Suddenly, a loud cawing got their attention and they saw a black crow zoom out of the same pipe the abzu came out of. Something large and long wrapped in red cloth was held in its claws and it seemed too much for a single bird to carry yet it did so without effort. It swooped down below, dropping the package at their feet to reveal the contents that were within. Three swords that were very familiar to them: the masamune, buster sword, and rapier. All good as new, as if they never saw one battle- until now.

The crow perched below them as the butterflies swarmed the abzu, holding it down momentarily as the crow’s inquisitive black eyes stared at them- daring them to take it. 

Zack recognized it immediately. “That’s one of Onna’s crows!” Kneeling down, he reached to pick up the buster sword and hesitated for a moment before gripping it completely. Initially he was shocked to feel the solid, carved grip in his hand. Holding it up, he admired it closely, only ever seeing it hang off Angeal’s back and never seeing it in action. “Wow.. Thank you.”

Genesis bent down, picking up the rapier and testing it in his hand. It still felt the same as the day he last used it against Jenova. Lowering it, he saw the runes appear on the side of the red blade; glowing brightly and ready to be wielded once more. 

That left the masamune for Cloud. He felt it in his hand, it felt strange and unfamiliar but he would have to make do. Not as if he had any other choice, unless he wanted to use the cloth the swords were delivered in to attempt to choke the abzu to death. He remembered seeing Sephiroth fight with this and he knew it took years to master a weapon such as this, but he only had seconds to decide to use it. He only hoped he was worthy and didn’t drag the others down. 

The crow nodded its head at them as if the choice they made was the right one. Then it spread its wings and lifted itself off the ground, flying off with the butterflies dissipating at its exit. The abzu was left stunned and struggled to keep straight as Genesis pointed his rapier at the beast. Equipped with the weapon he knew best, he felt confident this fight wouldn’t last long. Balls of flame hovered at his back, forming a semi-circle; with a wave of his hand, they zoomed past him and struck the abzu everywhere. Flames engulfed him and he let out a pained roar as it began eating at his heat-vulnerable hide. 

“Zack, Cloud, triangle formation,” he instructed the two and they ran on opposite sides with their swords in hand. Zack with the buster sword and Cloud with the masamune, they ran until they hit the point in their imagined triangle before making a beeline towards the abzu and leaping at the same time. Zack had the buster sword behind his head, lifting it up as he brought it down towards the monster’s head; Cloud ducked below a large fist, bringing the masamune to the side and aiming to slice at the monster’s tendons in his ankles and bring it down. At the same time the two hit their respective spots, Genesis coated his sword with more glowing runes that sang with flame. 

Running towards the abzu as its ankles spurted blood and horns cracked and broke off, its heart was pierced as Genesis drove the rapier deep inside. His crimson dress was dyed darker as the dark blue blood spilled onto him while the abzu howled loudly and thrashed about. Its hands were held down as two other swords found their way to center of its palms, pinning it to the floor and rendering it useless. Meanwhile Genesis continued his assault on the heart, filling the ventricles and aorta with a stream of flames that traveled through the arches until it destroyed the blood vessels as it rounded the monster’s body. With one last scream, the abzu swayed forward and Genesis retrieved his sword before jumping up, stomping on its snout with a heeled kick and performing a backflip off its body to land back on the ground. 

Genesis, Cloud, and Zack watched as the abzu fell forward, dark blue blood pooled underneath its perforated body before orbs of mako rendered the once solid, muscled body to transparency. They watched as the beast disappeared back into the lifestream before their very eyes and they took a collective breath of relief. 

“Wow..” Zack admired the weapon in his hand, the broad sword that he admired for so long. “This thing is great, why doesn’t Angeal use it more often?”

“He doesn’t want to get it dirty,” Genesis said without skipping a beat and looking at their surroundings once more. “‘No wear, tear, or rust. ‘Cuz that’ll be a waste.’”

“What now?” Cloud said. 

“We go home,” Genesis lifted his sword towards the wall behind them. “After I make us an exit.”

*******

“You three look..uh..swell,” Angeal scrunched up his nose as they shuffled about in their dresses and heels. “What’s that smell?”

“Sewage, Angeal,” Genesis said as he handed him the buster sword. “A gift, from the high priestess herself.”

Angeal gripped the buster sword in hand, feeling the craftsmanship under his hand. He was speechless. He’d never thought he would see this weapon again. “How..?”

“I told Onna where your old weapons were,” Zack said as Cloud handed Sephiroth the masamune. “I didn’t think she would actually do anything about it though.” 

They examined their weapons, amazed to see it once more. The scratches and nicks that tarnished its surface were nowhere to be found and it seemed completely brand new, yet still felt familiar in their hands. 

“I’ll make a note to thank her in person,” Angeal said, setting his sword down beside him. “When did you come across these?”

“In the sewers, battling a monster,” Genesis stated plainly. “It came when we needed the help the most. Almost like divine intervention.”

“Did you find anything useful on Deepground’s goals?” Sephiroth asked, his masamune spread across his lap. 

“Just this,” Genesis held up the chip he ‘received’ from the ever-gracious Don Corneo. “But since we were dropped, it was crushed in my hand. I reckon some information may be salvageable.”

“We should give it to Xion,” Zack exclaimed. “She’s good at data recovery.”

“And it’d be better to seek that info outside of Midgar,” Angeal agreed. “It’ll be safer with her. Should we call them to pick it up?”

“Wait,” Cloud frowned. “At least let us change. If it’s all the same to you, I rather no one else see us like this.”

Zack nodded as Genesis flicked his hair out of his eyes. “That  _ would  _ be preferable.” 

A creak at the door got their attention and they all froze as someone ducked in the bunker hideout, a black hoodie concealing their face. Once the door was closed, the figure turned around and slid the hood back. 

“Hey guys, just here to check on Vincent, I-” Lady stopped once she saw them. “I, uh…” she looked at Cloud in his frilly dress, Zack in his corset-top dress, and Genesis in his extravagant red dress. She opened her mouth to say something, closed it, opened it again only for it hang agape and at a clear loss for words. “..Did I..miss something important?”

Cloud’s worst fear suddenly came true at the worst possible time. He held a hand up, “This isn’t what it looks like.”

“No, I mean,” she twiddled her thumbs. “If this is what you’re into, I mean, more power to you- is that a tiara?”

“No,” Cloud swiftly reached for the accessory and tossed it to the side, making a loud metallic clang as it collided with the wall. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Lady stepped closer. “Is that..makeup? And a  _ wig _ ?”

“Nailed it. I know. Thank you. Moving on,” Cloud said, hiding his face. 

She pointed at Zack, “Are those falsies?” Then at Genesis, “Lipstick???” Cocking an eyebrow, she was still stunned at the sight before her. “..Is this a bad time, should I leave? I can come back.”

“No!!” All three of them insisted. 

“You can never tell anyone what you saw here,” Genesis said through gritted teeth. 

“Uh, okay,” Lady backed away, still staring at them with scrutinized eyes meant to take every detail in. Then, very slowly, reached into her pocket and to their horror, heard the sound of a shutter going off. 

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

“Sorry, I just-” she checked if the picture was blurry on her phone then smiled when it was in perfect detail due to the HD specs of the camera. “I wanted to preserve this moment forever.” 

Genesis tried to grab her phone but she stepped back, holding it out of reach for him. Then maneuvered to where his heeled steps couldn’t carry him gracefully. “Tsk tsk,” she said as she caught him by the waist and dipped him as if they were dancing. “You still have a ways to go in those shoes. Such an amateur." 

Letting him go, she brushed past him and towards Vincent’s room. She heard heels clacking and following her closely behind with the door closing shut behind them once they were both inside. Lady checked if Vincent was still asleep before continuing and sure enough he was still out cold. 

“So,” she said with an amused smile as she faced Genesis. “Gonna tell me what that’s all about?”

“Only if you keep your mouth shut,” he walked over to her, his extended hair swaying as he did. Taking her hand, he placed the chip in her palm. “Deliver this to Xion. We found some information that may be useful. Information pertaining Deepground’s goals for you and Vincent.”

“I see,” she said, turning the broken chip over in her hand. “I’ll get it done. And don’t worry-” one glance at Genesis really did convince her that he could actually pass as a woman, a very beautiful one, “-my lips are sealed.”

Genesis leaned forward and she could smell the rose scented perfume that coated his auburn tresses. His rouge-colored lips kissed hers and she reveled at how warm they felt. When he finally released her, she caught her breath again and she turned her face up to his. Her own lips were now stained red like his. 

“What was that about?”

“Nothing. I can’t miss you?”

“Hm. You’re just being nice so I delete the picture.”

“Would you consider it?”

“No. But if you’re rude to me you might find these on the group chat.”


	27. XXVII

Violin music softly danced around the room in a melody that undulated with sharp keys dotting the staff. In between Xemnas knees was Lady. But she wasn’t doing anything explicit, merely balancing a book in the crook of her arm while her other was hanging off his knee as her eyes scanned through the text at an alarming pace and had Xemnas saw this, he would assume she didn’t bother taking in the info before her- but she did. Every single word. He leaned over slightly in the sofa chair he sat on, making sure he didn’t disturb her crisscrossed position on the carpet. On the page she was perusing, the first thing he saw was a diagram of Leviathan. A fearful being that was deemed the largest of all six Astrals. His golden-hued eyes landed on a paragraph that started on one particular subject: the Feeding.

“What is that?” he asked. 

She glanced up, surprised he was even reading along with her. Pointing a finger to the subject on hand, she explained. “The Feeding was an event that happened shortly after the gods first arrived on this planet. It’s exactly what it sounds like, the goddess Leviathan devoured all those daring to disrespect her. Ever since then, not a lot of people were willing to badmouth her. She thrives on worship.”

The violin music stopped abruptly on a flat note that was incongruous with the rest of the song prior. “Seems you’ve your work cut out for you,” young Xehanort spoke, his violin in his right hand and his bow in his left. “I’m surprised you’ve come this far.”

“Ha-ha,” she laughed dryly, turning the page and almost ripping it at the amount of force she exerted. “Why are you still here? Shouldn’t you be back in your own time, being irritating elsewhere?” He ignored her, placing the bow back on the strings and playing a tune that kicked up high into the E-string. A mocking noise. “Tch,” she glanced up at Xemnas and gazed into his eyes upside down. “Your counterpart is annoying.”

“We’re aware,” said Ansem from another seat nearby. He too was rifling through heavy books as she did. 

Still staring up at Xemnas, she felt his finger run up her neck and go up to cup under her chin before sliding up to her cheek. “Are you nervous?”

“No,” she said, eyes staring straight at him. Then she glanced to the side, “Maybe.” Slowly, she turned her face to conceal it from him, “..Yes.”

He pulled her gently back into the position he had her in before. “There is no need to be. You’re strong.”

“Stronger than a goddess?” She asked with a cocked brow. “Because that’s what I’m up against. And she doesn’t like people.”

“Yes,” he said, fingers warm against her skin. Sighing, she reached up to touch a strand of his hair that dangled over her face. 

“We’ll see,” she whispered. “What if I get incapacitated again and have to recover?”

“Then I’ll be here waiting for you.”

She grinned as the music stopped and she began to see a hint of a smile on his face. Something that he wasn’t quite used to, but slowly was getting familiar with. 

*******

Xion pressed the keys on the keyboard with an irritated look crossing her face. The chip Lady delivered last night was nearly corrupted with how crushed it was, but it contained valuable information so she had to suffer the irritation no matter how major. 

“How goes it?” Ienzo appeared behind her. “Do you need help?”

“No..” she trailed off until an error message appeared and she closed her eyes. “This is impossible.”

“The sequence may be missing a few vital pieces,” he offered, looking over to her. “You may have to fill them in yourself.”

“Everything okay?” Lady poked her head in the lab and Xion immediately straightened. “You know..it’s okay if you don’t figure it out. We can find something else to-“

“I got it!” Xion exclaimed suddenly, then scrambled to make her burst seem less out of anger. “Sorry, I just..I want to do this right, for you. So it might take some time.”

Lady stood next to her, eyeing the bits of code that flew across the screen. They were missing bits in between, looking like whole sentences yet seeming to miss punctuation and other vital units to complete the story they were trying to tell. Genesis was still upset at himself for accidentally crushing it but she already assured him it wasn’t his fault- just as she was doing now for Xion. Patting her head, she gave the girl a warm smile, “You’re doing your best and I’m proud either way. Just don’t overwork yourself, I care more about you than that broken chip.”

“But-“ Xion protested then stopped, feeling her hand ruffle through her black hair softly. “Okay..”

“You too,” Lady patted Ienzo’s head, the steel-blue tufts poking up between her fingers as she did. “I appreciate the work you’ve done.”

His heart fluttered as she spoke her kind words, he felt that she could hear it with how loudly it sang within his chest. A soft touch from her- that was all that was needed. After all this time, it really was good to have her back. 

“I have someone here to help you if you need it,” Lady announced. “He’s over- hey, come on out! That was supposed to be your cue!”

Stepping out from behind the corner, a boy with shaggy silver hair and light green eyes emerged. He wore a white collared short-sleeve with black shorts and a yellow backpack. “Greetings,” he said and added in an awkward wave as Lady gave him a dejected sigh. 

“You need to work on that,” she muttered, pulling him in under her arm. “Guys? This is Chadley. He’s an, er, AI. I guess.”

“I was created by professor Hoj-” he started but she soon covered her mouth with a hand. 

“Don’t say the ‘H’ word here, you might get looked at funny. Got it?” 

Chadley nodded with her mouth still covering her hand. When she released him, she directed him to Xion. “Hopefully he can help retrieve any corrupted data on that chip. Sorry I can’t be of much more use.”

“No no!” Xion assured her. “This is okay, this is good. I think we can start from here.”

Chadley extended his hand towards her. “Hello. What’s your name?”

“Xion..” she said, taking his hand in hers and shook it in the same robotic movement he did. 

Lady rubbed the back of her neck and gave Ienzo a worried glance. He nodded to her, letting her know that he would watch over them to make sure they played nice. “Well I’ll be off then. Leviathan awaits!” 

“Wait!” Xion rushed to her. “Leviathan?! So soon? But you haven’t even fully recovered from Titan yet!” 

Patting her head, Lady grinned. “Don’t worry so much. You know me. I’ll be fine.”

Xion wanted to say more but ultimately decided against it. “..Okay. Be careful.”

  
  


*******

“You have my gratitude for helping out our Glaives,” King Regis placed the cup down in the saucer, catching a whiff of the rich greens that steeped in the liquid. “You’ve done so much for us. Isn’t there anything we can repay you with?”

“None at all,” Onna moved her porcelain cup with her middle finger, watching as some of the tea leaves rose to the top and moved about when she rotated it. “How goes your recovery? I trust my methods are helping? I haven’t seen you use your cane lately.”

Regis looked over to the walking cane he usually leaned on, made of black polished wood with a gilded handle. He left it in places where it was easily accessible, but he hasn’t found himself reaching for it of late- merely glancing at it as he passed. A great feat which he didnt recognize completely yet, but now he did. It took some of the weight off his shoulders as he regained some of his natural strength back. “Due to your efforts of helping with Insomnia’s defense, I’ve found little need to rely on the power of the Crystal.”

“Good,” she sighed softly. “It’d be wise to find other means to defend your city.”

The king stifled a small smile. “You’re very accomplished for your age, if you don’t mind me saying.”

Onna chuckled, her eyes slowly panning up to him. “Trust me, I’m much older than I look.” 

Turning to a portrait hanging above the mantle on the large fireplace of the dining room, she saw a painted picture of Regis in his younger days. He was a handsome young man with sharp features that was a signature of the Lucis Caelum line. A woman with long, black hair and dark blue eyes, the color of sapphires, stood next to him. Their hands were intertwined as they gazed longingly beyond the layer of acrylic that separated them from the real world. The woman’s belly was swollen and she could only guess as to who it was she was nursing. 

“Your wife was beautiful,” Onna noted. “She has the same eyes as Noctis.”

“Yes..” a hint of sadness interrupted his usually steady tone. He dared to look up at the portrait and hadn’t realized till now on how he would actively avoid gazing at it. “Aulea was. The star of my sky. I miss her every day.” He stopped, feeling slightly unnerved that he would let something so personal out and to a woman no less. Gaining his bearings, he turned his attention to Onna. “What of your husband? Is he..” 

“Dead.” Onna replied calmly. 

“Ah, I see. My apologies. Your Lady has never brought up the subject of family during her stay here so I assumed.”

“It’s alright,” she said. “No one should blame her for avoiding that topic like the plague.”

The grandfather clock ticked by. Announcing every passing of a second as it echoed in the room. “In times where you miss him greatly, how do you press on?” 

“..Because my daughter needs me and I would do anything to protect her.” Onna kept Regis’ gaze. “Just as your Noctis needs you. It’s what keeps our strengths as parents.”

“Yes,” he chuckled, a hint of bitterness lying with it. “Though I must admit, I don’t spend as much time with him. Nor he with I. It’s..regrettable.” 

“Then spend time with him, Your Majesty. I’m sure the prince would want the same.” Onna tilted her head. “He was five when the Crystal chose him, yes?”

“A secret only few know of,” Regis admitted with surprise. “Though it seems that a priestess of Bahamut would be divulged of that as well.”

“Former,” she corrected him. “I no longer hear the prophecies and words of the Draconian and I’m much better off this way. If you’d be so kind to hear out the words of a retired devotee, I suggest you don’t heed the Crystal’s commands any longer.” Her eyes traveled to the chess board laying on a single table in front of a large window overlooking Insomnia. “We are game pieces to him. Nothing more.”

“It would be in your wisest decision to not let Noctis ascend the throne as the True King,” she continued. “It’s nothing but a ploy by Bahamut, believe you me. He spreads his false prophecies in hopes that one will become his scapegoat for all he’s done.” Onna watched to see if Regis believed her, and from where she was sitting, it seemed like he did. “I know the price you pay for trusting one such as him.” 

Her posture stiffened as she awaited his answer with bated breath. “..I’ll take it into consideration,” the king responded and Onna nodded gratefully, finally relaxing. 

As her eyes looked up at the sky through the window panes, she furrowed her brows. Getting up, she walked over to the grandfather clock and studied the hour and minute hands before taking a look outside. 

“What is it?” Regis asked her. 

Onna turned, “May I see your pocket watch?”

Without another word, he got up and handed her a silver timepiece from his breast pocket. It opened with a soft click and she compared it to the time displayed on the grandfather clock. Then with one last look at the outside, she closed the pocket watch and handed it back to Regis. “This is worrisome,” she muttered under her breath. 

“What’s wrong?” he repeated. 

“We’re running out of daylight,” was all she responded with in a breathless whisper. He didn’t understand what she meant at all, only looking at what she perceived with another careful glance until he saw what she saw at last. 

The sun appeared to be too low in the sky for midday. 

  
  


*******

Isa waited for her by the gate. His long blue hair tied back in a low ponytail to prevent the wind from blowing it across his face. He got up when he saw her descend the stairs and stood at attention. “Are you ready to go?” he asked her. 

“Are you supposed to be my chaperone?” She grinned, giving him a false curtsey when he nodded. 

“It’d be smart to do so,” he commented, eyes briefly glancing over her body as if it were ready to give out at any time. “You haven’t fully recovered yet, have you?”

“Ugh everyone’s saying that..” Lady frowned. “But I’m fine, I promise. Where’s Lea?” 

Isa’s smile strained at the mention of his name and she caught that briefly before it returned to his regular expression. “He’s slacking off somewhere probably. Don’t worry about him. It’s not like you need two people to escort you.” 

“Alright then,” she looped an arm around his. “Escort away. Can you take me to Hammerhead Garage? It’s near Insomnia.”

Lifting his hand, he was ready to summon a corridor when loud banter got their attention and turned it towards the courtyard beyond the gates where they saw Keyblade Warriors gather. It looked important as they rarely met up for anything. 

“I can’t wait, Disney town is going to be so fun!” Sora proudly displayed an array of tickets in his hand, one for each of them in the group. He elbowed Riku, “You said you’d go on the big rides with me, right?”

“Only if you promise not to cry,” Riku grinned. “Don’t expect me to hold your hand either.”

“We should hurry up or we’re going to be late,” Kairi looked around. “Where’s everybody else?” 

From the distance, Ventus ran over, tugging Vanitas along with him as he did. Terra and Aqua followed shortly behind. “Perfect,” she breathed a sigh of relief. “We’re all here!” 

“I can’t wait to eat,” Ventus told the group. “I’m starving.”

“Are you kidding? You ate earlier,” Vanitas frowned. 

“Don’t be so grumpy, Van. Smile! You’re going to Disney!” 

“With that midget mouse? No thanks.”

“Either that or you’re stuck on guard duty for the castle.”

“Ugh.”

“Hey Lady!” Sora flagged her down when his large blue eyes spotted her. “We’re going to a park, wanna come with us?”

Isa and Lady approached them. “What park?” 

“It’s not on this world if that’s what you’re thinking. We’re leaving to Disney Town- the BEST place to have fun,” Sora showed her the tickets, each of them containing a monogrammed emblem of a mouse head with rounded ears. 

“Yeah, they have rides and stuff. I’ll win you a prize if you come,” Ventus tugged on her sleeve. “C’mon, it’ll be a blast!” 

“They even have a tunnel with a river and a boat where you can go in with someone special,” Kairi said with her blue eyes turned specifically to Sora. “And you can come out as a couple!”

Vanitas made a face. “Gross.”

Terra smiled at Lady, “Do you want to tag along? It’ll be really good for you to take a break.”

She wanted to. She really did. “I..” 

A loud caw made the group look up just as a large black crow perched on the gate. It spread its wings up as it scrutinized Lady, her reflection showing clearly within its glassy black eyes seemingly made of marble. Turning to the group, she gave them her response. “No,” Lady said firmly, but her inner child wanted to tag along so much. “I can’t, sorry. Got things to do.”

“Is that one of your mom’s crows?” Riku asked, watching the bird watching them. 

“Yeah..” Lady raised her fingers to her lips and whistled loudly. At her command, it took flight again, circling above their group before landing on Lady’s shoulder. It cawed again and craned its head in a curious manner towards her, making her scowl. “Can’t be bothered to have a cellphone, so she has a murder doing her bidding.”

Sora was concerned. “A murder?”

“Uh-huh,” she nodded, stroking the sleek black feathers of the bird. “A murder is a group of crows. My mom’s a diplomat, so they do her bidding: sending messages, delivering items, all that stuff.”

“That’s really cool,” Ventus said with awe, reaching forward slowly to pet the bird which the crow cawed loudly as it shook its body to reject the touch. 

“Don’t approach like that,” Lady instructed, taking his hand. “Make sure the bird sees that you’re coming. If you suddenly appear, you’re perceived as a threat.” Guiding him, Ventus stroked the bird’s head and it stood obediently still. 

“So your mom’s a politician?” Aqua watched Ventus with nervous eyes, afraid that one wrong move might earn him a pecked hand. “And a swordswoman?”

“Great.. What else does she do?” Vanitas mused. “You don’t seem to have picked up on any of her multiple talents.” This earned him a stern glare from Terra.

Lady’s eyes narrowed specifically at Vanitas. “I picked up on her diplomacy. You know- the art of being nice to people you don’t like?” She then smirked. “Heard she humbled you pretty good by the way, how did that feel?”

“Tch,” he shook his head. “I didn’t see her coming is all.”

“Suuuure.”

“Where are you headed anyways?” said Riku. 

“Altissia,” Lady said with slight excitement. She was going to see the city on water. Stories of how beautiful Altissia was were always repeated to her without fail and she couldn’t wait to finally see it in person after all this time. “I have an appointment with the divine.”

“You mean Leviathan?” Aqua inquired. 

“Yup,” Lady smiled at her. “So we’ll both have stories to tell when we get back. Speaking of which, I guess you guys have an off day if you can go to a theme park today, huh?”

“Yep!” Sora crossed his arms behind his head. “There hasn’t been much Heartless to fight so we decided to take it easy. Actually, there seem to be less of them nowadays so that’s good.”

This gave her pause. “Really?” And before she could stop herself, she added in another set of words that she regretted. “..Are you sure?” Their faces were only described as a collective mix of confusion and unsettled horror. She quickly put a smile on her face and forced out a laugh, “Or I don’t know, I’m not an expert on Heartless. But that’s good I suppose.” She said that, though she didn’t feel her own words to be true. In fact, she didn’t believe herself one bit. 

“Well you should get going,” Lady said as she pushed Sora gently to get him moving. “You’re burning daylight.” 

“Yeah,” Sora nodded. “And when we get back, we’ll both have stories to tell!” They all said their goodbyes to her and Isa while they both lingered behind. Terra was the last she saw leave; the brunet gave her a supportive smile and wave that she returned before he followed the others.

Once they were gone, Isa turned to Lady. “What you said earlier.. You don’t believe the Heartless are truly gone?”

Lady’s smile faltered. “I..I’m not sure.. It’s just a feeling. I could be wrong. It just came out naturally.”  _ Like an instinct.  _

Isa reached to put a hand on her shoulder in a means to reassure her, but he found that he couldn’t and retracted it back to his side. Fingers curling back up in defeat. 

“Hey!” Elrena called to them from the castle stairs. “Scar-face,” she said, looking at Isa. “They want you inside. I can escort her.”

Isa frowned, making the x-shaped scar between his brows curl into a curve. “What for?”

“Like I know,” Elrena returned his sour expression. “They just want you- so hop to it.”

Unsettled irritation appeared on his face and Lady reached forward to stop him. “When I get back, maybe you and I can go do something..without Lea.” 

At this, Isa cracked a smile. “I look forward to it,” he said and brushed past Elrena back towards the castle. 

The blonde took a look at Lady with a hand on her hip. “Where am I taking you?”

Elrena truly looked like she didn’t want to be here, so Lady cleared her throat in the awkwardness. “It’s okay, I can probably just fly there.”

“No,” Elrena scowled while she insisted. “I’m taking you. Where are we going?”

“In that case: Hammerhead,” she responded. “You can finally meet my friend Cindy!” At this, Elrena’s scowl seemed to deepen and Lady thought it was because Elly just did not like meeting people, but she was wrong. It was for another reason entirely. Seeing as how Elrena only ever seemed annoyed around her, Lady assumed the beautiful blond disliked her completely. But she didn’t want to ask and risk their relationship even more. Elrena remained quiet with her face twisted in a sour expression while opening up a corridor for the both of them; they walked through in silence that was a bit too stiff for either of their liking. 

*******

The two women stepped out of the corridor, greeted by a rush of stale, hot wind as the sun momentarily blinded them. Elrena raised a hand to her eyes and winced under the intense light as Lady already shook off the feeling. 

“Sweet pea!!” A voice gasped and bounded towards them in the form of a shapely woman with tight, blonde curls. Jumping into Lady’s arms, Cindy wrapped her arms around her neck as Lady returned the gesture. Seeing the touchy-feely familiarity between them, Elrena’s disdain grew even more than thought possible. “What’re you doing here?” 

“I’m waiting for the guys,” Lady told her. “Are they here yet?”

“No,” Cindy hopped back down. “They went up north to find a tomb, I think. They’ll be back soon, want to wait here with me?” 

“Yeah of course,” Lady turned to Elrena. “This is my friend by the way- Elly or Elrena. Elrena this is Cindy, owner of this fine establishment.”

Cindy stood next to Lady while Elrena stood apart from them, estranging herself. She didn’t miss how Cindy bumped shoulders with Lady, almost practically holding hands. “Pleasure to meet you,” Elrena said through tight lips. 

“You too, any friend of hers is a friend of mine!” Cindy said with her natural Leiden twang grating on Elrena’s ears. “Wanna get a milkshake from Takka’s diner?” the mechanic asked Lady, batting her eyes as she did. 

“Yeah sounds good,” Lady nodded. “Wanna come with us, Elly?” 

“I’ll pass,” Elrena waved her hand. 

“Oho, look who we got here!” Yet another woman walked up to her and Lady’s eyes widened at the sight. 

“Aranea!” Lady grinned. “What are you doing here, I thought you’d be back at,  _ y’know. _ ” She wasn’t too sure if the commodore enjoyed having her Niflheim relations revealed so she kept quiet. 

Aranea Highwind placed a finger to her pouted lips to shush her. “Keep that info to yourself, dollface. I’m making a pit stop before I head on to Altissia to watch Tenebraen royalty.” 

_ Ravus and Luna are there too?  _ If those two were there, then that means  _ he _ was there as well. An image of Ardyn popped up in her head and she felt her heart skip a beat before realizing it and scolding herself thoroughly. 

“You still remember that you owe me dinner, right, dollface?” Aranea lifted Lady’s chin up with a finger. “Can I cash in on it now?”

“You don’t want to get a milkshake with me?” Cindy tugged on her arm. 

Elrena’s eye twitched and tugged on the arm that Cindy wasn’t holding. “I changed my mind. I’m coming too.”

Lady was taken aback with all of them surrounding her in a triangular blockade. “Uh, well, how ‘bout we all get something to eat at Takka’s?” The three other women seemed disappointed that she didn’t just pick one of their offers and instead chose to group them all into one. Of course, nothing more was said when they all slid into one of the boots of the diner as their milkshakes were being delivered. Their small talk ranged from the awkward to the insipid and Lady genuinely tried her best to keep all three of them talking, but that was impossible as the other three kept eyeing each other warily. 

“You sure do have a lot of ‘friends’, dollface,” Aranea noted as she licked the whip cream off her straw. 

“Yeahh, I just meet a lot of people,” Lady shrugged. “We have a group chat too, wanna join?”

“Texting isn’t really my thing,” Aranea replied. 

“Oh really?” she smirked. “That didn’t seem to be the case when I was texting you.”

“That’s because I knew who it was behind the screen,” the commodore in red winked at her. “I’d be stupid to ignore a message from you.”

Lady smacked her lips when she popped the maraschino cherry into her mouth. “Bet you say that to everyone you talk to.”

“What are you talking about?” Aranea feigned an innocent expression. “I only give my number out to people I think can handle me in a fight and get their ass in gear.” 

“I’ll have to see if you’re good on your judgement on that,” Lady finished her shake, licking the remnants of cream off her lips while Aranea cocked a half-smile at her. 

“This has been fun,” Aranea said as she slid out of the booth. “But I should really head to Altissia now.” Walking over to stand behind where Lady was sitting, she leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “I don’t count this as dinner by the way, so I’m expecting compensation.” 

Tugging at her hair playfully before exiting, Lady waved to Aranea through the diner windows happily. 

“What’s her deal?” Elrena squinted at her retreating figure. 

“Sweet pea,” Cindy placed a hand on her arm. “Who was she?”

“Aranea Highwind,” Lady told them. “A military commander of sorts. Met her a while back when she was helping me get dressed in a cave.”

“What?!” Both Cindy and Elrena exclaimed and got weird looks from the other diners. 

“Huh? No! Not like that!” Lady shushed them. “I was just drying off my clothes and she helped me out of there, that’s all. We didn’t do anything like  _ that _ .” Elrena and Cindy relaxed in their seats as if a crisis had been averted. “Chill.”

Cindy let out an exhale then sat up straight. Reaching in her pocket, she clicked her tongue. “Aw shucks, I didn’t realize I had a delivery to make today,” she looked up at Lady. “Wanna come with me while you wait for those four?”

“Sure,” Lady and Cindy both got up. “I’ll see you later, Elly.” 

Elrena reached forward and grabbed Lady’s hand, staring at her dead in the eye. “You..” she seemed to struggle pushing out the words. “You be careful and better RTC safely.” 

“‘RTC’?” Lady raised a brow. 

“Return to castle,” Elrena explained in a serious tone. It was an old term that Organization XIII used to use when they went on missions. After a success, or failure, they would ‘RTC’. “I mean it. Don’t be reckless.”

Giving her a two finger salute, she grinned. “Yes, ma’am!”

*******

Cindy fibbed partly on the ‘delivery’ she had to make. A good hour was spent waxing and cleaning every bit of the motorcycle’s engine while another hour was spent just on the headlights alone as well as double checking then triple checking. To make it go faster, Lady offered a hand to help her out. 

Wrenching the lug nuts on the tire, Lady gave them a hard squeeze with her hands before dusting it off on her shorts. “Is that it?” she asked the mechanic. 

“Well..” Cindy made a mental checklist of what she had to do and they were only halfway. “Not really.”

“Okay,” Lady nodded. “Tell me what else I have to do.”

Cindy instructed her, handing her the necessary tools to complete her task as she completed them dutifully. “Take off the airbox- not like that!” She suddenly exclaimed loudly and Lady turned to her with surprise. Cindy blushed, “More gently.. like-“ she paused, “-like you’re holding a lover.”

Nodding, she did as she was told. Tucking her fingers under the folds of the airbox and lifting it up to see the filter inside and check its condition. “It looks good to me. Wanna double check?”

Cindy scooted closer with her arm touching Lady’s as she peeked inside. She remained there, looking at the perforated holes on the filter. There truly was nothing wrong with it as she said, but she wanted to stay there- even for a moment longer. “Cindy?” Lady asked again. “Is it good?”

“Yeah..” the blonde mumbled, backing away. “Okay, next is..” They quickly went down the lists of to do and soon, the motor roared to life and Lady sat back on her heels with a satisfied grin on her face. “Oh! You did it!!” Cindy wrapped her arm around Lady’s. “Great job!”

“Only because I had my hand held throughout,” she snorted. “Come on, we should deliver this back to its owner.”

By the time they were actually making the delivery, it was already damn close to nighttime and Lady made sure the headlights worked properly before hopping onto the bike with Cindy sitting behind her. If it wasn’t for the gentle purr of the motor, she would’ve heard the blonde’s heart beat faster standing next to her. 

Cindy pressed her cheek against her back. “Galdin Quay isn’t that far from here. Just straight down this road.”

Lady turned the headlights towards the street and it shone brightly, like a tunnel of white in pitch black. Turning the bike towards the road, they set off to ride the path down to the beach. Cindy looked up, seeing how the stars looked like streaks in the sky at the speed they were going and she wrapped her arms tighter around her waist. The air soon changed from dirt and leafy foliage to that of the sea, fresh and open. A smile crossed Lady’s face as she looked at the open expanse with excitement, it looked as if the tides waved for her to jump in and explore and see what the ocean had to offer in terms of secrets. Revving the engine, she burned the rubber as she twisted down the path that transformed into something serpentine as opposed to linear. Lights from Galdin greeted them with a warm glow, blocking out the stars as it overtook their vision. Only the resort existed in this secluded portion of the beach, with it’s long dock curving towards a luxurious hotel standing on stilts in the clear water. In the distance, she saw fish with bioluminescent scales shimmering just below the surface and imagined how Noct would love to catch one of those. 

Settlements like these always had lights situated everywhere to the point where it almost seemed intrusive and over-the-top. Parking the bike close to the dock entrance, they hopped off as a man holding a martini glass crossed the wooden platform to get to them. Taking a large swig of his drink, Lady suddenly figured out how his bike ended up so fucked. He wore floral-printed shorts and a white tee and, for some reason, blocky shades that looked straight up black. How he saw in the dark, she had no idea. 

“My baby!!” He took a sip of his martini before holding his arms out. “There she is!” Leaning over the bike, he patted the leather seat where Lady and Cindy just sat prior. “Thanks Cind, I knew I wasn’t wrong for trusting you with her.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Cindy smiled. “You take care of her now!” 

“Will do,” the man said. “But wait, can I treat you to a drink? It seems wrong to let such a lovely lady like you off without something cool for a throat as pretty as yours.”

“No thanks, I got a water bottle back home,” Cindy swiftly turned him down with another smile. “If your bike breaks down again, you know who to call!” Grabbing onto Lady’s arm, she moved them towards the parking lot until they were out of eyesight. Turning to look at the road they just took, she released a heavy sigh. “I don’t know how we’re going to get back. I usually take a tow truck here but-“ she blushed and glanced up at Lady. “Guess I didn’t think this through. Maybe we can take a chocobo back?”

Lady scrunched up her face at the mere mention of those large avian beasts. “Uhh.. I got a better idea.” Taking her by the hand, she walked with Cindy until they reached an area where she was sure no one would see her then took her farther out still until they were on the sand of the beach behind a set of palm trees. Turning her attention to Cindy, she had a mischievous glint in her eye. “Do you trust me?” she asked.

Cindy nodded, “Yeah, of course.” 

Lady then scooped her up in her arms, hooking under her legs and back and looked to the sky. Cindy only watched in amazement as a set of pristine white feathers erupted from her back, arching upwards to point to the heavens before slowly lowering down. “Sweet pea, you have wings..?”

“Shh,” she winked. “Hold on tight.” 

With a powerful gust from her wings, it sent them both up into the sky and Cindy yelped as she reached forward to bury her face in Lady’s neck. Lady erupted into laughter at her bashful reaction and squeezed her slightly. “It’s okay, I got you, don’t worry.” Cindy opened her eyes slowly, taking a peek first before opening them completely. Glancing up, she saw the stars again but they were much closer than when she was riding on the bike. She always thought they were bright and beautiful, but that was before she saw the extent of the lofty feathers carrying them throughout the sky. Winds rushed around her legs and she shivered, making her snuggle closer to Lady as the beating of her wings mixed with the beating in her heart. 

Cindy never experienced anything like this and she didn’t dream of anything similar in all her life. She only thought of machines and what they could do for man on terra firma, but this? This was a whole new frontier she would want to explore. Gazing at Lady’s face, she saw how content she looked. As if all this was natural to her and nothing new, a common event in her everyday life. The mechanic decided, then and there, she would want to be able to touch the stars with this angel every night. Even if she had to build something so impossible, so inconceivable- she wanted to accomplish it.

While Cindy’s head was filled with daydreams of stars and angels, Lady’s was filled with a worry she pushed to the back of her mind till now. She narrowed her eyes as they glided over the valley, squinting at the darkest places she knew daemons to lurk in but saw nothing. Not even movement from a scampering creature rushing past. Something seemed off. 

It really did seem like the daemon’s numbers were dwindling, just like the Heartless.

_ But this is good, right?  _ Lady inhaled the fresh air. Though something in her gut told her it wasn’t. 

Hammerhead wasn’t far off now and Cindy regretted that their magical flight was ending. Landing just near the garage opening, Lady’s wings disappeared in a cluster of light but as they were still illuminated by the moon, Cindy could still see their shadow displayed on the concrete wall behind them. “Ugh,” Lady sniffed. “I could use a shower. I smell like motor oil.”

“Come inside!” Cindy reigned in the giddiness in her voice. “I was going to shower too!”

“Isn’t your grandpa inside?” she peeked in the garage, but only cans of paint and oil greeted her. “I don’t wanna come without permission.”

“It’ll be alright, c’mon,” Cindy tugged her inside. “Paw-paw’s usually sleepin’ around this time anyways! Once he’s out, he doesn’t hear a thing.” Lady hesitated and Cindy circled around her, gently pushing her inside. “It’ll be fine, darlin’. I promise.”

Following the mechanic into the upper floors that contained the rooms, she followed her into the bedroom that overlooked the parking lot of Hammerhead. In the corner, she could see the gas station and even some of the lights from the diner that’s still yet to turn off. “Here!” Cindy rustled something from a cardboard box, holding up an oversized tee with the Hammerhead logo proudly displayed on it. Shameless self-promotion. 

Lady grinned, taking it and tossing it over her shoulder. “Got some shorts in there by chance?” 

“I think I do,” she took out a pair of sport shorts with tiny gears printed on the back. Thank goodness. Lady wouldn’t know what to do if it had Hammerhead written across the cheeks. Walking towards the bathroom, she stopped, “You wanted to shower too, right? Is there a guest bathroom I can use?” Cindy showed her there was one down the hall and left her to gather her own clothes so she could wash herself. 

Stepping into the steam, Cindy immediately placed her face in her hands and pondered over her emotions. Never in her life had she had such strong feelings for another girl; it never even occurred to her that she could feel like this for anything else besides her job. Men who attempted to flirt with her didn’t go unnoticed, she just wasn’t interested and frankly- she didn’t care. But now?

Cindy shook her head, droplets shaking off her damp curls. “What are you doing?” she asked herself softly. When she was done, she stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her body. As she opened the door back to her bedroom, Lady stepped in at the same time. She was dressed in the merch she was handed and her wet hair was splayed across her shoulders as she tilted her head. 

“Sorry, I came to tell you I was gonna go ahead and leave for Galdin Quay. Gotta meet the guys there,” Lady told her and Cindy felt a small flutter of panic. She wanted her to stay longer. 

“Um,” Cindy stepped closer. “You sure you don’t want to spend the night? I’m sure they won’t be back till morning anyhow.” 

“Maybe, but there might be a chance that-” Lady stopped when she saw how Cindy’s face turned down, disappointed that she was leaving. But she was oblivious to the true nature of her dejection, only assuming that Cindy merely wanted to spend more time with her- which honestly wasn’t too far from the truth. “I’ll be back, don’t worry.”

Cindy held her breath, not eager to sound desperate. Even so, thoughts raced through her mind. Thoughts that could explode at any moment and were held in the small towel that clung to her shapely body. In a sudden rush of bravery, she approached Lady and reached for her hand. Lady was taken aback momentarily before Cindy leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips. It didn’t get farther than that, only on the surface as their lips touched and felt the curve of the other. Backing away, Cindy was almost scared to look at Lady's face but when she did- she let out a gasp. 

Lady’s eyes were glowing. More so than usual. The combination of mako and mana surged through them and she reached to cup Cindy’s face. “I understand,” she mumbled softly as she closed the door behind her with a foot. When it shut completely, the blonde let the towel around her body pool at her feet to reveal her nude self which Lady eyed with appreciation, earning a blush from the other woman; Lady bent her knees just to pick her up, legs wrapped around her waist as she tossed her onto the bed, trapping her with arms on either side of her head. “You sure you want this?” 

Cindy responded by pulling her neck down to plant another kiss on her lips. She knew she wanted nothing more. Lady fondled her exposed breasts softly, rounding the nipples before pressing down on them and leaving a kiss on the one that was unattended. A stray hand outlined the curve of her hips, making her breathing become increasingly labored when she felt a finger trace the shape of her labia. Already they seemed at home as they drew around it- as if it were a shape that was being practiced by an artist everyday. Cindy gripped onto Lady’s arms, feeling the tone of her muscles as she trailed upwards to run her fingers through her hair. Her middle finger prodded her with inquisitive movements, making a small circle as Cindy bit down on her lip. The sight of this woman on top of her with her fingers inside- it would be an image she would gladly burn into her mind for the rest of her life. 

Bringing her fingers to her lips, Lady sucked on the middle and ring finger. Covering them thoroughly with saliva before bringing them back down. Her mako-filled eyes asked for permission before sticking them back inside, curling up and feeling the inner walls before reaching the familiar cusp to the opening of her cervix. Flexing her fingers inside, Cindy’s instinctive reaction was to cover her mouth with a hand as she squeezed her thighs together. Lady coaxed them back open with a gentle touch, squeezing them and letting her hand rest on it before she continued. When she felt Cindy was at a good place to experience more, her thumb found her clit and she gave it a quick flick. 

Pleasure filled Cindy’s every sense. It felt better than those times she’d touched herself. Kisses peppered her stomach in a long line and she felt Lady sink deeper down as her lips trailed down her stomach to her thighs. The scent of her freshly washed body filled her nose, soap mixed in with the natural scent of arousal only served to egg her on further. Her tongue lashed out, leaving trails of saliva on her sun-kissed skin while her fingers pumped in and out of her slowly. Cindy squeezed her eyes shut but stole glances as Lady’s mouth got closer and closer to her pussy. She wanted to remember this. Every single second. 

Taking her fingers out halfway, she planted a kiss on her mons before dipping down and licking her clit. Cindy flinched, not out of pain but pure pleasure and bit back a moan when she felt teeth graze her slightly before it was sucked on harshly. The bundle of her nerves between Lady’s lips made the blonde let out a hearty moan as she dug her fingers in Lady’s hair to help ground herself. Clutching her pillow close to her mouth, Cindy buried her face into the cushion just as Lady’s mouth buried into the opening between her folds and let her tongue explore. The blonde let out a wanton mewl as she felt a tongue slither inside her and already began salivating at the feeling. 

Lady lifted Cindy up, massaging her ass as she did before wrapping arms around her thighs to hold her down while she ate her out slowly, lovingly. Like she was a drink of fine wine that was to be sipped and savored. Cindy’s head was propped up on some pillows and she used both of her hands to keep her mouth shut as she bit back moan after moan. Juices dribbled down Lady’s chin as her lips moved in tandem to push her tongue further inside of her; a hand rested on her head, urging her to go deeper and she obliged; pushing in more with a lone finger helping her, she could feel Cindy’s body tremble underneath hers. 

“Sugar,” Cindy panted. “I think..I think..” In response, Lady sucked on her clit loudly and made it echo in her room as Cindy squealed in excitement. “Keep going,” she urged her, chest rising and falling heavily. “Please-!”

Fingers drummed on her thighs and she smiled against Cindy’s other lips. From where Cindy was laying, all she saw was the glow of mako before pressure began building up deep inside her. Lady tasted her as generous waves of her fluids stained her mouth with a glossy shine. She tasted so damned sweet. Hands held Cindy’s legs wide open with the gentle touch she was instructed to use earlier when they were fixing the bike. This detail didn’t escape the mechanic and this small gesture filled her with joy. 

With one hand tangled in Lady’s hair and the other groping her own breast, Cindy’s mouth opened into a circle and let out a moan as her orgasm washed over her. Bucking her hips up, she collapsed back onto the bed as she caught her breath even as her pussy felt thoroughly ravaged. Lady pushed herself up on the bed, her mouth and chin glistening as she smirked at her. Wiping her mouth with the back of her arm, Cindy got up to meet her halfway and met her lips with her own. Their tongues swirled around each other, tasting the shared bittersweet tang of her climax as a reward. As they separated to take in air, a single line of saliva kept them connected which broke when Cindy pulled her down to get on top. 

Giggling, Cindy’s hand slid down her waist and pulled up her shirt impatiently, eager to see more of her. Lady obliged, getting up to sit on her hind legs and pulling her shirt over her head in one swift movement. Cindy followed, letting her fingers run through the scars on her skin that transformed into silver lining over the years. “Where did you get this one?” she asked, tracing a crescent shaped scar on her lower abdomen. 

“Deployed near a village called Kalm years back. A monster bit me,” Lady explained as Cindy searched for another scar. When she felt the blonde stop at another just above her navel, “Training accident gone wrong.” Finally, Cindy stopped at the three marks the Astrals bestowed upon her that rested on her sternum. “That..is a secret for another day,” Lady whispered, taking her curious hand and kissing the fingertips. 

“I want to know the story behind every scar,” Cindy whispered back, eyes never leaving her body before flitting up to her with hope shining in her hazel-green eyes. “Even if you have them- I think you’re still so beautiful, darlin’.”

“Thanks, babe,” Lady muttered, following the outline of her chin with a finger. “And you’re damned gorgeous. Almost every guy that comes through here always got eyes for you.”

“So?” Cindy got up on her knees, taking her by the shoulders and pushing her back down onto the bed before laying on top of her. “I only got eyes for you, sweet pea.” 

Lady scoffed. “You wouldn’t want anything to do with me. Trouble has a tendency of following me wherever I go.” 

Whether it was the courage from post-coital bliss or the fact that Cindy’s true feelings finally came to light, she placed a kiss on Lady’s nose before smiling down at her gently. “At least let me try. I want to be beside you.” She did it. She finally confessed- and she felt good about it. Happiness made a home within her, swirling in sweet delight with the climax that left her body tingling. 

Lady inhaled sharply, wrapping a hand around her shoulder to pull her closer. “Alright, if you insist. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Snuggling into Lady’s neck, Cindy closed her eyes and almost drifted off to sleep with a smile. After a few moments, Cindy rolled over to where their breasts touched and she pouted. “Can we go again?” she begged with pleading eyes, her hand already sliding down between Lady’s legs. 

Shaking her head, Lady grinned before lifting her hand to her mouth to cover her middle and ring finger in a generous amount of saliva. 

*******

Meanwhile, dark grey water splashed up onto Noctis’ pants and slid down into his boots, earning a disgusted scowl from the prince. They were in this old sewage line that led towards a tomb that held one of his forefathers, but how in the  _ hell _ did it end up in this dank ass place? He lost count of the times they twisted and turned and- had he seen that pipe before or was it a new one? Whatever it was, he didn’t let the others know that he had no true heading. But he had a sneaking suspicion that they already knew that. 

“Hey guys,” Prompto said as he splashed into a puddle behind him. “This place is ‘ _ a-maze-ing’ _ , right?”

Gladio groaned and Noctis could practically hear his teeth grit together at Prompto’s horrible pun. “I’d  _ laugh _ if we weren’t lost.”

“Say no more,” Noctis rolled his eyes, though his companions couldn’t see it in the dark. “I’ll leave the pathfinding to you from now on.”

“Nah,” Prompto mused. “I’m more the ‘ask for directions’ type.”

Gladio felt something slither by his foot and he stiffened, making sure he didn’t make an audible noise of disgust. “Don’t look at me- not  _ my  _ job.”

“Then that’s it from the peanut gallery,” Noctis concluded. 

Ignis sighed, “Keep an eye out for landmarks and we’ll find our bearings.” 

After a while, Prompto started whistling and Noctis could hear Gladio’s teeth grind together again. “Wonder what Lady’s up to right now? Hope we don’t keep her waiting too long.”

*******

Cindy curled up in the sheets, her hand snaking through the fabric hoping to find what she was looking for. When she didn’t, she frowned and got up slowly. At the foot of the bed was who she was seeking, putting on her socks and braiding her hair down her side. Ears picked up on Cindy stirring and turned to greet her with a smirk. 

“Morning. First time I ever saw you sleep in,” Lady remarked. 

“Mmm,” Cindy stretched her arms over her head, her body stretching and releasing the tiredness from her limbs. It was certainly the best night she ever had. “I haven’t slept like that in a while.” Crawling over to her, she looped her arms over her shoulders, “Leavin’ so soon?”

“You know I have to,” Lady patted her arm.

“I know,” Cindy rested her forehead on her shoulder. “Just be careful alright? I don’t want you gettin’ hurt out there.”

“That’s not in my master plan,” she chuckled. “No worries. Now are you gonna come see me off or should I let you sleep in more?”

Cindy nuzzled her face into her neck. “Gimme a moment, suge. I’m still wakin’ up.” 

Lady took her hand and kissed her knuckles, “Take all the time you need.”

*******

On the docks leading to the ferry boats, Lady walked past the lavish seaside dining hall towards a group of four Lucians wearing all black. She gave them a wave as the blond one with freckles jumped forward and waved.

“Heya!” Prompto walked close to her and he thought he caught a whiff of Cindy’s perfume but he shook his head.  _ They probably had another sleepover, _ he thought. 

“We good to go?” Lady looked to all of them, then rested her eyes on Noctis. “You guys look like shit. Did you sleep at all?”

“Kinda,” Noctis rubbed the back of his head. He spent almost half the night soaking in a bath to get the stench of the sewers out of his hair. “Not really. What about you?”

“Kinda,” she flashed a grin as her face seemed to glow. “Not really. Is this our boat?”

“Yeah, courtesy of one ‘Dino’,” Gladio pointed his thumb over his shoulder at a slim man with spiked silver hair and suit standing a ways from them. “We had to run an errand for him to get this boat for us.” 

“It was cool though,” Prompto said. “We saw a huuuge bird. It was like, half-airship, half-mountain, and half-giant!”

“You realize that’s three halves,” Gladio said with narrowed eyes. 

“Well that would explain the size,” Ignis commented. 

“Hey, you fellas just ‘bout ready to go? You can’t keep the ship waiting forever!” Dino walked up to them then saw her before proceeding to squint. “You their friend they been waitin’ for?” 

Lady smiled. “Yeah, sorry. We’ll board now.”

Dino didn’t cease studying her features and he slowly glanced at her, up and down her body. “You know. You’re a ringer for something, just can’t put my finger on it.” Reaching inside his pocket, he pulled out a folded up newspaper and glanced at the front page. Turning it so that the rest of the group could see, she held her breath. On the front cover was the so-called entity that people spotted over the last year: the Lady of the Lifestream. 

Lady’s smile tightened. “That’s lovely.”

“Kinda look like the doll on the front page is all,” Dino shrugged. “Minus the armor, and I  _ did _ happen to see someone with wings on the beach last night..” he tilted his head, looking at her knowingly. “Or must’ve been my imagination, huh, toots?”

“The beach sun must be doing a number on your head,” she replied calmly. 

“Maybe,” Dino stuffed his newspaper back in his pocket. “Well you all have fun now, and uh, you too Highness,” he saluted to Noctis to which the prince frowned at being recognized. Jogging up the stairs, he stopped and winked at Lady. “Thanks for getting rid of all those daemons lately, by the way.”

When Dino was out of earshot, Gladio crossed his arms and glared at him disapprovingly. “Ugh, reporters.”

“Careful now, tabloids can easily turn the tide of opinion against you,” Ignis tutted. “And crowds can easily tear into you just as good as any arsenal.”

“That guy’s weird though,” Prompto jumped up to peek over the rail to make sure the reporter was actually gone. “Right, Lady?”

He expected an answer but only received silence as he turned to see what she was doing. Her brows knitted together and she bit the nail on her thumb as her thoughts raced. “Why are they all saying that..” she muttered to herself, almost unintelligible to the others. That bad feeling she had earlier only increased. Hopefully the sea air on the way to Altissia would take her mind off of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My personal headcanon is that Xehanort can play the violin. Why? Because his theme always has it. 
> 
> Also, https://youtu.be/m-G46yvTEXg is where I got the original banter for the Chocobros that I inserted if you were curious.


	28. XXVIII

Altissia, the city upon water, truly was a sight to behold. With spiraling columns rising from the deep blue to hold up foundations of the canals carrying their boat through in controlled paths; curved architecture making domes that were surrounded by carved stone angels; cataract waterfalls surrounded the arched gates just before they entered, making Lady tilt her head all the way back just to see the marbled point at the very top. She leaned over the side, excited to see even more and was tempted to spread her wings and meet the stone angels that greeted them on the way inside. Gladio pulled her back just as she leaned out too much and she was going to thank him until she got distracted once more. Pennant flags of different colors and belonging to different nations hung over them in white strings; rose petals scattered the water below them and more still were blowing through the wind, brushing her cheek as it flew past; from afar, she could see crowds gathered at the docks and streets with such vibrant colors that could outmatch the sun. 

“Woah, this place is neat,” Prompto whistled, standing next to her. 

“Yeah..” she breathed in awe. “That’s one word for it.” 

Ignis’ eyes narrowed when he saw the landing and turned to Gladio. “I hope customs won’t give us trouble.” 

“With this crowd?” Gladio motioned to the people milling about. “We can just say we’re here for the same reason they are.”

“I doubt that’s credible enough.”

“Land ho, Cap’n,” Prompto said with a salute to Noctis.

“Then full speed ahead, first mate!” Noctis said with his nose raised high in the air. 

Lady leaned over again, eager to see more of what was going on in the city.  _ A festival? _ Her question would be answered as soon as they docked and hopped off onto the pier. A gate with heavy security met them before they could proceed further. As they approached, one of the gate guards gave Noctis a curious look, prompting Gladio to step in front of him with arms crossed. The gate guard coughed nervously and turned to Ignis. “Does this vessel have an entry permit?”

“Uh,” Prompto glanced to the group. “Entry permit?”

“Oh, here!” Lady reached into her pocket, handing it to the guard. Their ticket into Altissia, courtesy of Cid. He took it, examining it with a raised brow before giving it back. 

“That’s as old as they get,” he said with a laugh, noting the yellowed edges of the parchment. “Seems in order, you may pass.”

Their boat seemed more like a ship as it sailed by other crafts with much simpler construction than theirs. The boat they were so graciously given was made of gleaming metal with an engine that carried them swiftly through the water, while the wooden boats below were at the mercy of the wind running through their sails. Docking, they stepped onto the wood- happy to finally meet with semi-solid ground after an hour or two on the open water.

“What’s next?” Prompto asked them. “Immigration?”

Noctis scrunched up his nose. “What do you mean? There’s still more?”

Lady held back a laugh as she patted him on the shoulder, “You don’t get out much, do you Highness?”

Two booths were in front of them and they opted for the least occupied as they huddled together in a group with the rest of the crowds vying for entry into the city. When they got to the front, another guard greeted them. “Sir! What is the purpose of your visit?”

He asked Noctis to which the prince scratched the back of his neck, looking towards them with a lost look. “Purpose? Uh..” Ignis’ shoulders slumped slightly when Noctis met his eyes, telling him to take over. “Ignis, a little help.”

“Utterly hopeless,” the spectacled man muttered under his breath before approaching the booth. He pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose, though it was already at the highest position possible. An expression of frustration due to his unofficial maternal duties to the group. 

“We are scholars of the culinary arts, and we’ve come to study the renowned cuisine of your fair nation as well as partaking in the festivities,” Ignis said without missing a beat. 

“Is that so?” The guard eyed all of them. “I wish you an enlightening stay.”

“Another one you owe me,” Ignis whispered to Noctis as he passed with the rest of the group following closely behind. 

After all was said and done, the need for such security wasn’t a wonder to her. Altissia was a precious treasure hidden in the ocean, a gem made of stone that miraculously stayed afloat on the water like a feather. The familiar smells of a festival filled her nose and she inhaled them hungrily, impatient to take them in and fully integrate herself into the swing of things as soon as possible. On the group chat, the Keyblade crowd were proudly showing off their fun times at some place called Disney Kingdom; complete with ice cream for each of them that went. Even Aerith, Tifa, and Yuffie went to Sector 6 for a girl’s night out, leaving the boys to do the work back at the bar. Lady didn’t get to join in their fun, but maybe here she could get her own. She only hoped for that much. 

“Hey, look at all those freaky masks they’re wearing,” Prompto was staring at a couple donning large white masks with raised, curved designs all over it. Everything save for their eyes were concealed, and even then it was shrouded in the darkness cast by the mask. In fact, most of the people here were wearing a mask of some sort; whether it be an animal or exaggerated portrayal of a person. Some were even wearing outfits to match the masks, with billowing skirts, puffy sleeves, and veils of lace covering them head to toe.. It was a magnificent sight. 

“Carnivale,” Ignis said aloud and she turned to him. He gestured towards the sign in front of them, needled into a large white cloth spanning over the main canal leading to the inner city. “It seems we came here during an important celebration.”

“A celebration of what?” Noctis asked. 

“Of the gods,” Gladio answered, pointing towards an array of statues erected in the square they walked into. Six were proudly displayed, carved in the same material as the stone angels that played their instruments above. One for Ramuh, Titan, Shiva, Leviathan, Ifrit, and Bahamut. Lady waited for the tourists to finish snapping their pictures of the stone gods and goddesses before stepping forward, her eyes scrutinizing each one with great intensity. First at Ramuh, Titan, and Shiva; her fingers tracing the coin-sized marks on her chest as she walked past them. She stopped at Leviathan, seeing the individually carved scales on the goddess’ serpentine body and felt the pit of her stomach fall with heavy anxiety. Continuing on to Ifrit, she was surprised that he was here as well- in many cultures, he was almost seen as the devil; his war on humanity was something that was shared in religions all around the world. Finally, she paused again, glancing up at Bahamut’s likeness. 

Wings of stone marbled with pieces of ornamental swords caught the light and blinded her at first glance. Squinting, she stared up at him, almost fearful that the god himself might be sleeping underneath that layer of stone and break out at any moment- snatching her back up and holding her hostage once more. A hand rested on her shoulder and she jumped, looking back with fearful eyes that relaxed when she just realized it was Gladio. 

“C’mon,” he said softly, “it’s just a statue.” Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, she leaned into him as he guided her out of the crowd that gathered behind her. “The hotel we booked shouldn’t be too far off. We get a riverside view.”

“Ooh,” her spirits already felt as if they were lifted. “Really? I want to try seeing where the gondolas can take us.”

“How about we go then?” He winked at her. “You and me, later tonight.”

She grinned, elbowing him gently as they weaved in and out of crowds. It wasn’t hard. His massive size made people move out of his way as they weren’t curious enough to feel what bumping into a 6’6” block of muscle felt like.The other three went ahead and let the hotel know of their reservation; they met in the lobby with other people lugging in their suitcases. No shortage of citizens or tourists were present here, and though it was noisy, she enjoyed it. Being lost in a large crowd gave her the sense of anonymity. No one cared about who she was or what she did. It was comforting. 

“We were given a large room,” Ignis assured them upon arrival and they went up to find where they would be lodging during their stay. Rounding up the stairs and down a hallway, they passed by open windows that had a view to the festival below. At the end of the hall, they reached their room and Ignis slid the keycard in, waiting for it to give them the greenlight before pushing in. Prompto and Noctis burst in, eager to claim their sleeping spots while Ignis observed the state of the room. Gladio kicked back on the sofa, stretching his arms over his head while Lady rushed to the balcony, looking over to see the same view she saw in the hallway with the added bonus of the canal. 

“There’s only two beds,” Prompto announced with dread. “Again.”

“It’s unfortunate Lucis currency doesn’t have a favorable rate with Accordo’s. Otherwise I would have booked an even larger room,” Ignis commented then turned to them. “How should we arrange our sleeping positions?” 

Unconsciously, they all glanced at Lady and she suddenly found interest in her nails. Clearing the imaginary dirt that made home under cuticles before she could look up at all of them, she smiled nervously. “Uh, how ‘bout Iggy and Gladio sleep on one bed and me, Noct, and Prom sleep on the other?”

“Like last time, huh?” Gladio said, recalling the time they all slept in a motel room before in rather uncomfortable sleeping conditions as they had picked up Vincent just before that. 

“Well you and Ignis are the tallest in the group, so-” she shrugged then held up two fingers squeezed together vertically. “You’ll sleep like this, and us three will sleep like this,” she held up three fingers tightly and turned them horizontally. “Do I have to be in the middle again though?” 

“Unless Noct wants to take one for the team,” Prompto slowly turned to his best friend. 

“No way, I like sleeping on the edge,” Noctis frowned. 

“But I do too!” Prompto whined. “You know I’m claustrophobic!” 

“Ugh,” Lady groaned. “Fine. Whatever.” Getting up, she put her hands on her hip. “I’m going to explore the city. Any of you coming?” 

They all got up to go with her. Since all of them did want to see Altissia as much as she did. 

*******

“Oh. My. Gosh. They have a souvenir shop!” Prompto excitedly pointed out a booth erected near their hotel entrance. “Can we get something, pleaaase?” 

“We’re not here on vacation,” Gladio reminded him sternly. 

“Well, what  _ are _ we here for,” Prompto shot back. 

“That,” Lady pointed to the statue of Leviathan. “I need to find a way to get her out of the seas. No way in hell I’ll survive a trip to the depths. My head would implode.”

“Seriously? Well where would you get information like that?”

“Dunno,” she shrugged. “Maybe I’ll  _ wing _ it, heh.” A chuckle escaped her at her own bad pun, but none of the other guys seemed to pick up on it. Her disappointment was cut short by a gondola with no passengers save for the operator passing them by. “Excuse me!” she waved him down, stepping onto the pier to meet him as his boat stopped. “Where does this gondola go?” 

“Anywhere you want it to, my beautiful lady,” he tipped his rimmed hat at her. “I’ll usually charge, but I can’t do that for such a face like yours.” 

“Ooh, really?” she grinned and pulled Noctis onto the pier. “Can you take my friends too?” 

The gondolier’s face fell as he saw the other guys step clear into view and just now realized they were with her. “You and your, er, escorts.. Why not?” He helped her into the boat, taking her by the hand and let the others take a seat by themselves. Using the oar to push them off the pier, the gondolier hummed a song as the boat cruised through the swirling canals. Crossing under arched bridges and passing by columns that had posed angels on top holding either harps or lanterns. Lady looked up at them and the gondolier followed her eyes and stopped humming, “They light them at night, my lady. It’s a beautiful sight to behold, this city being illuminated by angels.” 

“Hmm. I’ll take your word for it,” she smiled at him, crossing her bare legs together. Wearing only a combination of one of Gladio’s tanks that she tied up at the front into a knot as it was incredibly baggy on her and one of Noctis’ jackets to cover up her arms, she hoped it wouldn’t get too cold for exploration tonight. Not too cold for her jean shorts that were more suitable for Leiden heat anyways. 

“There’s a legend that all of these angels were a gift from god,” the gondolier continued to tell her and the rest of the group. “Each one was created by one of the Six and sent here, made to protect the city from evil. Imagine that: being able to meet a real life angel. It’d be a miracle to say the least!” 

“Oh?” Lady chuckled. “I’m sure it would be.” She could’ve said more but chose not to. That would’ve been too easy. 

Their gondola passed by buildings, cafes with outdoor tables, shops with open windows showing what they catered inside, and more sculptures that looked so life-like that it would easily be assumed they’d been living once upon a time. 

Prompto counted the angels he saw. “Wow, this place is so romantic..”

“And you get to enjoy it with us,” Gladio grinned. 

“All  _ three _ of us,” Noctis added. 

“You..are a lucky man,” Ignis finished. 

Lady hid her laugh behind a well-timed cough and turned her attention to the flowing water beneath them. They crossed an overpass and the gondolier jutted his chin out to a domed building with spires all around it, jutting high into the sky. “The library,” the gondolier pointed. “So many of Altissia’s legends and lore rests there. Any scholar with an ounce of self-respect needs to visit this place- it’s well known to have an important history of the Six!”

This got her attention. “Is that so? Can you stop here then?” she asked him as they got closer. Standing up and taking care not to rock the boat too much as she hopped off onto the stone road. 

“Wait! I thought we wanted to explore Altissia?” Prompto asked her, his camera in hand. 

“Then you guys go on ahead,” she raised her hands, stopping the blond from disembarking as well. “I’ll catch up with you later. Don’t give me that look, you guys have been working hard- you deserve a break!” Turning before they could even form a rebuttal, she waved to them as she disappeared behind a corner and onto the white brick path to the library. 

Once she was sure the gondola was out of view, she stopped jogging and let out a heavy sigh. Looks like today was going to be spent learning about the gods. Again. At this rate, she was sure that the path she was on was leading her to become a priestess like her mother; learning of the rites and incantations a woman of holy standing had to. It was tiresome. Dragging herself up the stairs, she crossed the threshold into the building and was greeted with endless rows of books encased in glass shelves. Doing little to hide her awe as she looked all around her at the floors containing a new set of knowledge with each categorized shelf, she really did feel like a kid in a candy store. If she spent the rest of her life reading through these books one-by-one, she was sure that there would still be more left after. 

“Do you need any assistance, ma’am?” A clerk approached her, wearing an ironed suit and square glasses with a lanyard around his neck, identifying who he was. The typical dress for an intern. “Altissia’s library is proud to serve all.”

“Do you know where I could find books on Leviathan? Or any of the gods for that matter.”

“Hm,” he folded his arms behind his back. “Well there is one section. But it’s mainly for certain persons who come by here since the divine usually is an esoteric field of study.” Turning his body, his eyes landed on the portion of the library that was sealed off by a sheet of censored glass. 

“Ah, I see. So not just anyone can come through there?” she held her breath when he shook his head. “Then..what about for a future priestess?” 

“A priestess?” he cocked a brow. “Here?”

“I’m from Spira,” she explained and he finally nodded in understanding. 

“A pilgrimage all the way here from the fabled Land of the Gods? How spiritual. What’s your name?”

Hesitation. “My name’s not really important. I’m the daughter of High Priestess Onna.”

“ _ The _ Onna? The one who defeated Sin and lived?” he pushed up his glasses. “Oh forgive me, had I known- well, you do share a striking similarity, I should have known. Right this way.” He led her to the back, taking out a heavy brass key that looked like it would shatter right through the glass door. It fit in snugly, turning and clicking at his behest and he pushed the door in, motioning for her to step through. “I hope yours is a fascinating find.”

“Yep,” she whispered to herself, thanking him with a smile.  _ I’m sure it will be. _

*******

“Ravus?” Luna looked up from her book. “Is something troubling you?” 

The white-haired prince stopped by the window, pulling back the drapes with a brush of his hand before turning to his sister. “Nothing,” he replied. He didn’t want to mention that he possibly saw the very being that her sister happened to be infatuated with.  _ What is he doing here _ ? Ravus wondered to himself. 

Luna stood next to him just as Noctis disappeared into the crowd, missing her completely. “It looks so wonderful,” she smiled gently. “We were fortunate enough to be here during this festival.” 

“Yes,” he said but had no real joy in his voice, only silent disdain. The crowds. The people. It was far too loud and far too irritating. He wanted to go somewhere quiet. “I’m going for a walk,” he announced to her and she nodded, never taking her eyes off the masked groups. “Under no circumstances are you to leave this room.” 

Ravus closed the door shut on his way out, giving the guard a glare at his passing- notifying him that if anyone came close to his sister, they would be out of the job. He flexed his fingers. Open, shut, open, shut. It had been weeks since they arrived in Altissia, but it’s not as if he was homesick. There truly was nothing there for him back in Tenebrae anyways. At the most, he had hoped to see Luna free of burden- if only for a little while. The empire had no true need for him and hence, didn’t deploy him anywhere needing his expertise for battle. He and Luna enjoyed a period of quietness that was oft rare in their life, as preordained by the bloodline they shared. 

“Going somewhere?” Ardyn stepped out of the shadows, smiling at him innocently. “To enjoy the crowds and lights?” 

Part of Ravus’ lip pulled into the signature scowl he was known for. “I require peace. The festivities provide too much noise.”

“That’s what festivals do, commander,” Ardyn raised his nose, amused at his expense. “But I digress, I hope you find your silence.” With a wave of his hand, the imperial chancellor turned heel and went down the hallway in the opposite way. 

Ravus took a deep breath before continuing. Exiting the building lent to them by the first secretary of Accordo, he took in the all-present sea-salt filled brine that permeated through the city. 

“Commander,” Aranea saluted him, but her posture was too lax to truly give off the air of any real respect. In terms of positions, they were equals. She commandeered the skies and their airborne MT troops, while he took control over the ground troops. But in personal relations? It was no secret that she loathed her position. “Everything okay?”

“Yes, watch over my sister,” he walked past her and Aranea shrugged, resuming her post with a rather bored look. Avoiding all crowds and walking in opposition to the tide of people filing in to find the places the festival would be the most lively. Children with pinwheels made with ribbons ran past him, laughing loudly; a young boy with pale blond hair pulled along his sister, a young girl with the same hair color and blue eyes. She was lagging behind and the speed that her brother went was too much for her shorter legs and thus made her drop her pinwheel. Ravus stopped as the girl frantically searched for her pinwheel as it rolled to his feet and reached down to pick it up off the ground. The older brother went to her first, whispering to her to not cry as he helped her up. Then he walked over to Ravus with his sister in hand and he nervously held his hand out towards him with a trembling voice. 

“Excuse me sir.. That’s my sister’s. May we have it back?” The boy was clearly terrified, shadowed by the tall figure that the Tenebraen prince imposed. 

“Take care you don’t leave your sister behind, boy,” Ravus handed the pinwheel back along with his scolding words and the child nodded obediently. Watching as he handed it back to his sister, he also saw how the boy bent down and urged her to climb up onto his back. Together, the two siblings ran back into the swing of the festival.

Whatever overcame Ravus to chastise that random child had confused him thoroughly. Why had he cared that much? He didn’t admit it to himself, but he had seen a younger version of himself with Lunafreya in those two. 

*******

Prompto: Wish u were here! 

Prompto: -attachment sent-

A picture of the boys posing by the gates with their fingers all pointing towards the sign that said ‘Welcome to Altissia’ popped up in her phone. Another one was sent shortly after and was one of Prompto’s many selfies, a dollop of whip cream was still resting on the corner of his mouth and she instinctively reached up to wipe it off, not realizing it until her finger hit the phone screen. Behind him, Noctis had his hair ruffled by Gladio while Ignis sipped a cup of coffee with some of the steam fogging up his glasses. 

It looked like they were having fun. 

Leaning back in her seat, she closed her eyes and stared at the book in front of her; shutting it with a heavy thump as the old pages crackled softly underneath the thick leather cover. The weight that was in her chest earlier proceeded to intensify. 

_ Get a hold of yourself. You don’t wanna screw up this covenant. _ Her hand flew up to her chest, feeling the marks she gained thus far. Of ice, of lightning, of earth. And soon, the seas. Glancing up at her stack she’d accumulated and already read through, it gave her everything she partly knew. That Leviathan was the largest Astral and contains the most hate for humans, making the covenant with this deity particularly dangerous. There was even one section that depicted Leviathan as a mermaid when she assumes her most humane form. Cracking open another book that had an iron clasp barely holding the pages together, she flipped through the front pages and carefully went through the sentences. Already two minutes in and she began getting bored with the inked words that started to blend together, forcing her to stop and start over again to refocus. 

Her eyes stopped when she saw the words on a set of series of anecdotes dotting the margin. They looked like they belonged more to a child’s notebook from school as opposed to an important establishment such as this. Scrolling it, she stopped when she saw an illustration of the Final Summoning. Alongside it were scribbles with question marks dotting them at the end. 

‘The Final Summoning demands a sacrifice. Your humanity and all that’s made you for the power of a god-------. H-----. This i---------. Very few regain their sanity in the end and become one of the summoned gods’ vassal. It is rare that one-------’

Some parts were scratched out and replaced by more text in someone else’s hand. ‘Possible to keep power of the gods after? Or does one remain a slave to the gods’ will?’

“Well that’s obvious,” she chuckled dryly as if the person who wrote the note was right in front of her. “The gods want you dead after the Final Summoning so you can’t go off and do as you please with the power you just gained..” she stopped, her finger twitching. Rereading the paragraph she just glazed over, she held her breath. 

No one  _ survives _ the Final Summoning. And if you did? You just become a vassal to the gods. Doing their bidding, until your flesh expires.

_ So then.. _ She shut the book.  _ How the fuck did my mom survive? _

Just like the fate she was assigned when Bahamut chose to revive her- though something wasn’t sitting right. Why her of all people? He could have picked  _ anyone _ . So why target her specifically? She remembered the stone angels dotting the city and a chill pricked the back of her neck. They seemed so real now. People encased in stone forevermore, waiting to break out. 

A flutter of wings made her look up and she thought she saw one of her mom’s crows until the white wings of a spotted pigeon flew by, landing on the sill of the window and tilting its head at her. 

Getting up, she walked over to the window and opened the latch. 

_ Was it a coincidence that my mom came to my rescue? _

Reaching for the pigeon, it looked at her dead in the eye. 

_ Was it a coincidence that my mom was the only one who broke Bahamut’s seal? _

The pigeon cooed. 

_ Is she..and Bahamut..? _

Lady wasn’t allowed to finish her thought as the pigeon stretched its wings and took flight, leaving her alone once again. A gut-wrenching ploy had crossed her mind, making her fist tighten into balls. For now, until she knew the truth for sure. There was one thing she was certain of. 

She didn’t know if she could trust her own mother. 

Thoughts flooded her head. Thoughts that she didn’t dare say out loud. She needed to calm down- peace, quiet. What better place to seek solace than in a library? Getting up as soon as she sat down, she chose a random shelf and picked a random book to begin reading to get her mind off of the situation at hand. Opting for a rather inviting looking tome that sat on the uppermost shelf, she got on her tiptoes to try and reach for it. 

Her efforts were useless as the shelf was just a few inches higher than her actual fingertips allowed her to grasp, even on her maximum height. She assumed the clerk at the front would be very upset if she used the bottom shelves as a stepping stool and so she didn’t. Straining herself, she even hopped up a bit to try and reach for it, but even that wasn’t doing her any good. 

Resigning herself to pick a book more accessible for her height, she stopped when a hand reached over her head and plucked the one she was reaching for right out of the shelf. The disembodied hand then lowered it enough for her to grab and she turned to thank whoever her savior from tall shelves was, stopping when she realized who it was. 

“Ravus!” she exclaimed, clutching the book close to her chest. “What are the chances of meeting here?” 

“I seeked solace,” he said. “I supposed I would find it in a library.”

_ Ah _ . For the same reason as she was. 

“I’m surprised they let you in here,” he continued with narrowed, heterochromatic eyes. 

“Believe me, I’m just as surprised as you are,” she spoke as she went back to the table where the rest of her books were. Sitting down, she set her newly fetched tome in front of her and motioned for him to take a seat. Resuming the spots they had when they rode the train together before. “Now tell me- something must be on your mind to take comfort in a place like this, right?”

“I don’t see how it’s any of your business,” he replied wryly and glanced down at the book she was just perusing, all of them having to do with gods and the like. When he stopped at the one detailing the Final Summoning, she placed another book on top of it and moved it to the side where he couldn’t reach nor see. 

Lady smiled at him even while being given such an icy reception. “You’re right, it isn’t any of my business. My apologies.” After a while, she folded her hands together and looked at him. “I hope you and Lady Lunafreya are doing alright at least. You still have my thanks for saving my life.”

“I didn’t save your life. I merely gave you a bed to sleep in.” 

“Maybe. But you also could’ve left me in that field- or sent me off on a cart. So, I’m grateful,” she smiled again, this time softer. 

Ravus relaxed slightly as his shoulders lowered by half a centimeter, his guard was still up, even towards her. “I presume you traveled here with the Lucian prince?”

“..Yeah, I did. Does that bother you?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

Lady leaned forward over intertwined fingers supporting her chin. “You have very pretty eyes.”

Ravus was once again taken aback by her commentary. No one, not even Luna, ever commented on his appearance. “‘Pretty’?” He repeated. Never in his life had he imagined that specific adjective be used in conjunction with a trait of his. 

“Yeah,” she said. “But they seem sad. Hm, since Aranea came here- you must be on important business too, right?” Her smile widened when he remained silent, something she was quickly realizing was his way of agreeing. “You don’t seem like you like your job much, prince Ravus.”

“I renounced that title long ago,” he said icily. “Whatever familial claims I have belong to my sister now. Tenebrae will be her land.” 

“May I ask why?”

There wasn’t an easy way to explain that he did so because he wanted Lunafreya to have the land his mother loved. In no way shape or form did he feel right claiming it as his own, even if he was the eldest. He would be turning 29 this year and Luna 25, how small their difference was and yet somehow- Lunafreya Nox Fleuret had the weight of the world on her shoulders as the Oracle. 

Lady inhaled. “Maybe too personal of a question,” she muttered. “Remember the story I told you on the train? Of my dad? I told you that in confidence because you were a stranger, and strangers are the best sort of confession boxes. No strings attached whatsoever. If the need arises in you, I can be that stranger.”

“You claim we are strangers, yet I know who you are as you do me,” he said, his hands resting on the table. “You are wrong.”

“No,” she spoke firmly. “We are. I know your title and your work, yes. But I don’t know what’s your favorite color, what time of day you like best, if you prefer to text or call, granted the fact that you have a phone. We lack that sort of intimacy, so I consider us strangers.” Lady sat there with a pretty smile and waited for his response. “You also don’t know my name, my real one at least.”

‘You’ve made your point’ he seemed to say, with that resigned sigh of his. His finger stopped tapping against the wood. “My sister has been plagued with visions. Of this world covered in darkness and daemons and other forms of monstrosities overrunning it. We’ve come here in search of answers. Leviathan’s the only one of the Six that must be willing to speak to her of the status of everything. Every other Astral has been either in dormant sleep for millenia or cannot be found simply by looking.” 

_ Of course.  _ Leviathan is the only one that traveled the world freely, besides Bahamut. Though she had an idea that Bahamut isn’t the type to lend his help so carelessly and without a price. 

“She worries the world will no longer see the light of day, and that humans will see a purge of our kind until darkness overtakes us all.”

Lady took this information to heart. “And do you believe her?” 

“I’m not sure.”

“You don’t trust your own sister?”

“It’s not for the lack of trust that I don’t believe her. Prophecies bother her relentlessly, I assume it’s hard to tell which of these are the ones the gods had intended for this world.”

“That’s why you’re here with her. To protect her.”

Ravus stopped. Had he really been so easy to read? 

“And if I can ask, what’s your cause for dislike for Noctis?” she inquired. “I’m assuming it has nothing to do with the Empire filling your head with their propaganda.”

“He is to ascend as the True King,” he scowled. “A mere boy like that? Chosen by the Crystal- it seems more like a terrible joke than anything.” 

“He’s not just a boy,” Lady’s mouth formed a thin line. “He’s been through much, don’t be so harsh.”

“You’re defending his actions because of your ties with him, no?” He hit it right on the mark. “You claim he’s suffered, but haven’t we all. Why should his downfalls be treated with higher regard than the rest of the world?”

“Maybe. You’re right. He still has some growing up to do,” she thought back to the pictures the boys sent her earlier. 

“I would not have my sister give her life or duty for those imbeciles sitting on the Lucian throne,” he seethed, every ‘s’ coming through his lip like a snake’s hiss. “She deserves much better.”

“She won’t have to,” Lady responded. “You love her, that much is clear. If she’s smart, she’ll learn not to heed the words and messages of the gods. If she’s smart, she’ll find a way out of her destiny. I assume she is, so you’ve no true cause to worry. So have faith.”

“In the gods?” 

“In your Lunafreya.”

“Well,” Lady gathered the books into her arms to replace on the shelves as she no longer needed their distraction. “I’ll leave you to your thoughts. Thank you for letting me hear what bothered you.” 

“Wait,” he got up as well. “What is your name?”

She turned back to face him. “If I tell you, we’ll no longer be strangers. And you’ll have no one to tell your darkest secrets to.” 

At this point, he really didn’t care. His careful attitude was replaced by pure curiosity. “Who are you, really?”

“Truly?” She turned with a playful smile. “A woman of no consequence.” 

*******

Lady left the library, feeling rejuvenated after her talk with the handsome renounced prince of Tenebrae. But it still didn’t do well to assuage the other thoughts that weighed in her mind. If she even chose to talk about this, to anyone at all, they would think her insane. Theories with no real basis and no factual conclusions- she wouldn’t believe herself either and so she let them wither in her heart. Pushing them deep down along with the other problems she gained over the years. The festival was still in full swing as she explored and she was thoroughly pleased that the noise hadn’t dwindled, it was loud enough to silence her own voice. 

Passing by a few stores that were close to the canals, she stopped when she saw another crowd that gathered in front of a certain store. The crowd consisted mainly of women and all of them chatted excitedly over what they saw through the displayed window and she got on her tiptoes to see what the fuss was all about. As her eyes connected, she let out a gasp of awe. 

Displayed in the window, she saw a pure-white wedding dress made of silk that gave off such a sheen that one would expect it to be made of diamonds. A veil was held up by floral pins crafted carefully with silver and opals, matching the silver necklace that hung around the mannequin’s neck as it posed. It was sleeveless, with a long skirt that puffed out near the bottom; adorned with silhouettes of lilies on the bottommost hem, it looked absolutely beautiful. 

Most of the women at the window were talking about their boyfriends and dreams of fairytale weddings while the other women, married or widowed, showed remorse for not having such a wonderful dress as that during their own ceremony. Whether it was curiosity or something else pulling her, she went inside the store. 

A wave of perfume drowned out her senses, almost overpowering her to the point of nausea. Pleasant air-conditioned air drifted down her neck and sent goosebumps up her arm, despite her jacket. She took a look at the other wedding dresses on display, all of them a different height, design, and material, but shared one factor: they were all white. It was as if she found herself in a snowy tundra fragranced by flowers. 

“I was wondering when one of those girls would finally come into the store,” a woman approached her. Her hair was a fine mix of salt and pepper with red cat-eye glasses and a trimmed black suit with squared off shoulders. Red pumps clacked loudly under her footsteps as she came closer to Lady, her dark green eyes studying her features closely with trained perception. A measuring tape hung around her neck, the only thing out of place on this otherwise groomed woman as the tape looked rugged and thoroughly used from years of work. “So, you have a boyfriend or girlfriend you’re looking to marry soon?”

“No,” Lady blushed, completely embarrassed. It was foolish of her to come inside without the intent of buying a wedding dress. Though, she never really thought of her wedding seriously.  _ Ever _ . It’s not like she had the time to develop any of her relationships at all these days. “I was just curious.”

“Well you must have had someone in mind if you wandered in here,” the older woman said, lowering her glasses down to peer over the rim. “What’s your name, girl?”

Lady told her her real name but it came out awkwardly, like a word she wasn’t quite used to. “..Though you can call me whatever you want. I’ve been called lots of things throughout my life. War criminal, soldier grunt, other derogatory names, etcetera etcetera..” she then laughed, giving the woman the impression she was joking. But she wasn’t. 

The older woman cracked a smile, revealing crinkles by her eyes. “What do friends call you then?”

“My friends right now call me ‘Lady’,” she said. 

“Well my Lady, I’m Vivienne Westwood,” she held out a hand to shake and Lady did, noting how tough the fingertips felt. Calloused from years of hemming and trimming clothes. “Excuse me for saying this- but you look a bit pressed for cash.”

Lady chuckled, “Is it that obvious?”

“You’re wearing men’s clothes,” she gave her a once-over. “And obviously don’t look as if they belong to you as they fit rather poorly. So, you borrowed them.”

_ Ouch _ . “Yup. Hit the nail on the head, Miss Westwood.”

“Tell you what,” she said, taking down the measuring tape from around her neck. “You have a pretty enough face. If you model for some of my dresses, I’ll fit you with a new outfit. You’re in Altissia now, you must look the part, my darling.”

Seemed simple enough. She’d be stupid not to agree. 

Lady was sat down in a chair. Her hair combed out and face cleansed thoroughly along with a rather tedious multi-step skincare regimen. People came in and went to help along with the process, applying makeup onto her and styling her hair; she didn’t even get a chance to look at herself as the mirror was constantly blocked off by different stylists who fussed over her appearance and engaged in heated debate as to what her look should be. Afterwards, she was transported into another room with an array of dresses hanging on a rack besides a tall, three-sided mirror. 

Vivienne walked into the room and the others stopped what they were doing, giving her their full attention. “What did you have in mind, Miss Westwood?” One of the attendants asked and Lady now assumed this woman was someone important. No one gave this amount of respect unless the person in question had high standing. 

The designer looked at Lady standing on the raised pedestal in front of the mirror and clicked her tongue. “Redo her hair, it looks like a bird’s nest. And what’s with that shade of lipstick? It’s all wrong for her skin tone. Again.” 

They quickly moved her back into the chair and Lady felt her hair being tugged on as they started over. The moment she stole a glance at her reflection, she was shocked that Vivienne didn’t find it to her liking. Personally, she thought they did a great job. But alas, it was the curse of an artist to see details in macroform. 

In the corner of her eye, she spotted something white and feathery lying beside the dresses. “Excuse me,” Lady asked one of the makeup artists. “Are those wings?” 

He stopped tapping off the excess blush off his hand and looked to where she pointed. “Oh yes, Miss Westwood wanted a sort of ‘divine’ theme to go with the shoot. Though those wings look rather too fake, don’t they? It’s almost comical.”

“Yeah,” she agreed. Waiting after he applied another shade of lipstick on her, she stopped him again before he went and ran to get the other stylists. “Do you think I can talk to Vivienne in private? I think I know what we can do about the wings.”

*******

Crowds gathered around the waterbank to see one of Vivienne Westwood’s famed photoshoots. Though no one knew of the model she used, they still pushed through to get a glimpse of art in the process. Sitting on a swing that swung over the water, hanging on constructed stilts with vines twirling up their length was a woman. Extended white wings fluttered behind her, so life-like and realistic that many could easily assume a real angel flew down at Vivienne’s request. The wings reflected on the clear water as feathers and rose petals floated by her with her toes barely touching the surface and making a rippling effect that disturbed her reflection and distorted it. On her body was a pure white dress, flowing around her in layers of lace and satin and glided behind her with the grace of wind. 

_ Many girls come looking for the opportunity to feel beautiful, it’s a shame they don’t realize they were beautiful even before they put on one of my dresses _ , Vivienne told her before they started. It made Lady smile. There were so few chances in her life that she felt like this. One could say she was almost bashful. She wasn’t used to so many eyes on her at the same time, from the crowd as well as the team. It also felt good to let her wings out, she always did it in secret and away from prying eyes. But here she was allowed to, as Vivienne was the only one who knew they were the real deal. 

The photographer crouched by the water, setting up his tripod. “Okay,” he gave her a thumbs up. “Smile!”

“No,” Vivienne said sternly towards him before looking at Lady. “Don’t smile if you don’t want to. Give us something..natural.” 

“Natural?” Lady called out over the water. 

“What do you feel?” Vivienne said back, not caring that the others could hear into their conversation and it was just them two in a room. “What’s in your heart? I want nothing about this to be faked.”

Pondering over her words, Lady began swinging herself, feeling the cool water touch her toes as she built up momentum. For a second, when her rose-adorned swing brought her up, she glanced towards the sky and held her gaze there for a while. A dream-like glaze washed over her face as the wind blew through her hair and ruffled her feathers, prompting her to take flight- but she couldn’t. Poised to fly, but remaining in her seat by the expectations of others while deep water rested below that was ready to swallow her if she fell, Vivienne tapped the photographer to take a shot. 

“Hurry,” she hissed. “Take it now!” 

A series of photos were taken of her, but Lady didn’t even notice. Her body moving to keep the momentum of her swing up and her face only ever pointed skyward, the desire of freedom weighing heavily on her mind. 

Maybe it was a mistake letting Vivienne know that she could summon a sword too, because that’s what the next set of photos were all about: her brandishing a sword, looking like a princess that was set out to save her land and people. 

This time she was standing on a flooded stone platform. Her wings still stretched out behind her as she stepped in patterns that she used as training practices back in the day. Water kicked up underneath her as she swiveled on her toes, performing a parry on an imaginary enemy as she blocked and did another pirouette. The dress flowed around her, acting as whips that danced around her as she went through the moves she knew through her head. 

Vivienne nodded approvingly with every snapshot taken. “You fight like a real soldier,” she noted and Lady held back a laugh. 

“I would hope so,” was all she said. 

“Now for the final shot. Give us something fantastic, something absolutely  _ divine _ !” Vivienne called out and Lady noticed more people gathered behind her. Pushing the nervousness behind a veil of stoicism, she gave the designer an affirmative nod. 

“Divine, you say?” Lady murmured under her breath. Holding her sword adjacent to her face as she closed her eyes, a glowing circle of arcane runes appeared around her. Soon the water began rising and churning, yet there was not a single storming cloud in the blue sky above. The water rose into streams, forming a sphere above the surface that reflected the daylight as perfectly as a mirror. Raising her sword and bringing it down beside her in one graceful slice, Lady broke through the sphere as fins emerged from the cracked shell. More fins came out, followed by a large scaly body that slithered into view, and finally, a beaked nose poking out and rising high above them. 

Leviathan’s watery visage poised high above them while Lady met the goddess head on, both of them posed just minutes before they clashed. 

Vivienne adjusted her glasses, making sure what she was seeing was real. Quickly recomposing herself, she tapped the photographer who was equally as shocked. “Take the photo- take the photo!” 

Water dripped over from Leviathan’s watery body and sunlight reflected off the surface, giving her a shadow of mirage. It wasn’t the real thing no, but damn did it look close to it. The gathered people didn’t know whether to clap or stay in silence for respect for the goddess. 

Nearby, the boys saw Leviathan’s head pop up from the ocean and they almost panicked until they realized it was only a small summon- a fake of the real thing. Prompto jumped up to try and see what was it that summoned Leviathan as well as this crowd. Gladio took point and pushed through with the other three following closely behind, when they emerged close to the front, Ignis first noticed the designer barking orders at her team. 

“Vivienne Westwood, I didn’t expect to see her here,” he commented. 

“You know her, Iggy?” Prompto faced him, his finger poised on his camera. Itching to take a picture of whatever was going on. 

“She’s a designer of some renown. She even designed Queen Aulea’s wedding dress.”

Noctis swiveled his head at the mention of that name. “She designed mom’s wedding dress?”

“As I said, Westwood’s name is a household item. She only designs for the best,” said Ignis, eyes glancing over the designer’s bob-cut hair and at the subject that was being photographed. 

“Would you look at that,” Gladio smiled. “She looks like she’s having fun.”

“Who?” Noctis craned his head. “I can’t see.”

Vivienne turned, eyes lighting up at seeing the prince and his entourage and she walked towards them. “Prince Noctis,” she said in a hushed tone with her hand stretched forward to shake his. 

“Uh, hey,” he returned the gesture. “Have we met?”

“I knew your mother,” she smiled warmly. “She was a lovely woman.”

Noctis didn’t know whether to express his delight or remorse. He chose neither. His mom died shortly after he was born, but everyone always told him the same thing: that his mother was a kind and beautiful woman. He imagined her through the crumbs of details that everyone fed him and painted a picture of her in his head, though he told no one this. 

The designer picked up on his anxiousness and was quick to change the subject. “I found myself a new model today. How fortunate I am to find out she’s quite an adept mage as well. I want to use her for more of my photoshoots, I wonder if she’d be open to it.”

“What’s her name?” Noctis asked. 

“She doesn’t use her birth name,” she shrugged. “But I suppose every woman is entitled to her secrets.”

“..You wouldn't happen to be talking about Lady would you?” Gladio smirked because he already knew the answer to that. 

“What?” Noctis looked at him. 

“You’re already acquainted with her?” Vivienne raised her brows far above the rim of her glasses. Turning her body, she gestured to Lady posing for a few more shots in front of the camera, forcing herself to become oblivious as to not lose her nerve. “What a lovely little thing, if you four don’t mind- I’ll be keeping her for a while. You know she came into my shop with such a lost look in her eyes,” she laughed. “I thought she was in there in the interest of becoming a bride.”

Prompto glanced at the model and back at his own camera. “Do you mind if I take one picture?” he asked her, completely afraid of rejection. 

Vivienne made a face then saw his camera being fidgeted with in his hand. “I don’t see the harm in it. But take care not to distract her too much.”

Prompto scooted forward, standing next to the photographer as he positioned his own camera. Raising it to his eyes, he gazed at Lady through the viewfinder and waited until he earned the perfect frame. When Lady saw the familiar tuft of blond hair reminiscent of a chocobo butt in front, she was taken aback as she didn’t even realize when he got there. Then, for the first time since the shoot began, she flashed him a genuine smile and Prompto took his picture. 

*******

The four stood outside of Vivienne Westwood’s boutique with great patience. The designer hurried them off set once they took their picture and claimed they would have to wait as she was not done with Lady yet. Prompto was still holding his camera in his hand, admiring the one picture he took. 

“Lemme see,” Gladio leaned over to peek at the screen then let out an appreciative hum. “That’s a good one, Prom. Gonna print it and hang it on your wall?”

“Maybe,” Prompto turned the camera screen away from him and towards Ignis. 

Ignis leaned over in response, gleaning the picture. “Very lovely indeed. She looks stunning in Miss Westwood’s dresses.”

Noctis leaned against the wall, already having seen all of the photos and his opinion was the same as the others. She looked beautiful. 

The door opened and out stepped the subject at topic, dressed in another one of Westwood’s dresses. Lady wore an off-shoulder midi dress with black pumps, her hair was done up in a half-up do with a single barrette on the back of her head. She still had her makeup done from the shoot with only her lipstick touched up and it shone with a glossy sheen as she smiled when she saw them. “Did you wait long?” she asked all four. 

“Not really,” Noctis got up, shoving his hands in his pockets. “You, uh, looked really good in the photoshoot.” 

“Really?” She was genuinely happy that he said that. “I was so nervous, I never had that many people look at me before. I hope the pictures don’t look stupid.” Holding up a bag containing her old clothes and some other boxes filled with dresses from Vivienne, she showed it to them. “Look! Vivienne gave me some new stuff to wear. Isn’t that nice? She even gave me her phone number, said that I could call her if I wanted a solid modeling gig!” 

Ignis peered into the bag and appeared a bit unsettled. “Oh my. The clothes in your possession are quite valuable.” Taking one of the clothes, he showed her the tag to display a whopping 7,000 gil and her eyes widened in horror. 

“Oh gods, I need to return this,” she turned around, clutching the bag to her chest. “I feel like I just robbed her.”

“If you return it to her now, that’d be more of an insult, wouldn’t you say? This is her thanks for your hard work today,” Ignis said and stopped her. “And believe me when I tell you: that woman won't have a shortage of money anytime soon.”

Lady’s shoulders relaxed and she faced him. “I guess. I didn’t even realize she was that big of a deal.” 

“You kidding? You’ll probably have those photos posted online and it’s gonna be viral soon!” Prompto showed her the one he took. “See?”

Her face flushed a deeper color. “Viral? Ugh.. I hope I don’t get dragged. This  _ is _ my first gig.”

“Don’t worry,” the blond reassured her. “You looked..you looked.. Uhh.”

“I think the word you’re looking for is ‘ethereal’,” Ignis offered. 

Prompto threw a finger gun at him. “Yeah, that!”

“You did great. How ‘bout we celebrate?” Gladio bumped shoulders with her. “You must be hungry, right?” 

“I’m famished, where we headed?” 

“Maagho’s,” Ignis flagged down a gondola. “Though we’re not sure of the certain location ourselves. We’ll just have to ask a guide.” They waited until the gondola parked in front of them and they told him where they wanted to go. As they filed in, Lady sat next to Noctis and they both looked down at the water together. 

“Bet there are some real good fish to catch out here,” she told him. 

“I bet, I’d love to see what it has for me later.” Thoughts of fishing swam around in his head. “You okay? You look tired. Find anything interesting in the library?”

Lady remained silent and instead put her head on his shoulder. “Not much. Wake me up when we get there?”

“Sure thing.” Not sure what else to do, he let a hand rest on her shoulder and pulled her in close so as to not let the boat shake her. They sat there as their gondola carried them across the water and around the twists and turns that covered Altissia. After a while, he relaxed and enjoyed the quiet moment between them. 

From the not-so-distant shore stood a figure concealed from daylight. He saw Lady’s eyes closed as she leaned on the young prince’s shoulders and when he blinked, he saw Somnus and Aera in their stead. 

Somnus, with his arm wrapped around his fiancée, Aera. 

It was as if something from the deepest recesses of his mind came to surface. It didn’t help that Noctis shared a striking resemblance to Somnus and Lady wore a dress similar to the one Aera always did, white and flowing. The thought alone was something that made him boil with two thousand years worth of rage. Turning back into the darkness, Ardyn made himself scarce of the vision that made him feel something he hadn’t felt in a long, long while: heartbreak. 

*******

Maagho’s as it turned out, was deliberately hidden and known only by the locals and word of mouth. It was only accessible by gondola, a bar concealed underneath plain sight. Surrounded by water on all sides, a mini-dock was stationed just in front just so that they could get off comfortably. A large square crafted with wood and stone served as the floor; in the middle was a squared off bar with many colorful bottles of vintages lining the shelves and catching the light of the gas-lit lanterns. Stools surrounding tall circular tables dotted the restaurant and only a few people filled their seats, some citizens while the others were lucky tourists. 

Both the proprietor and chef was one Weskham Armaugh, a previous companion to King Regis when he was still a young prince such as Noctis. They all sat at the bar, trading stories with one of the king’s old guards and the older man imparted wisdom unto them in exchange for one of their questions. 

Weskam Armaugh was a tall man dressed in fine clothing. A white button-up with brown vest over it and a dark mustard ascot tied around the collar. There was some faded scarring on his dark brown skin, presumably from the long decades fighting alongside Regis. His silvery hair was pulled into dreads that formed a low ponytail hanging around his neck and he wore a gold-rimmed monocle over his left eye. Both he and Ignis hit it off surprisingly well, both chatting of their duties as retainers to royalty and how positively  _ tiring _ it could be. They both shared a laugh, looked at Noctis, then shared another. It was one of the many things they agreed on that night: that the Lucis line was a handful. The other was the food. 

Given Maagho’s secret status and exclusivity, their food was exceptionally good. Dishes that were well overpriced than the typical diner debuted on the paper menu in front of her. The lasagna alone was 8000 gil, more expensive than the dress in her bag! Though that wasn’t the most expensive dish, in fact the most costly item on the menu was 300,000 gil and made her soul shrivel up and wither inside the confines of her frugal, cheap self. 

Weskham saw how she gripped the menu, eyes boggled at the price and released a hearty laugh. “I’ll give a discount to the prince and his friends- just this once, though.” Through the side of his monocled eye, he examined her carefully and placed a bottle of red in front of her. “A SOLDIER, eh? Never thought I’d see one up so close before.”

Instinctively, she lowered her face and raised the menu up a bit higher. “How’d you know?” she asked. 

He tapped the side of his orbitals. “The eyes, girl, the eyes. No normal person’s eyes glow like that.”

She ended up ordering the fish fumet; Noctis the fettini di cernia; Prompto the lasagna; while Ignis and Gladio decided to split a dish, the caviar canapé. Bringing their grand total up to 314,400. 

But given their ‘discount’, Weskham brought it down to a sum of 5,000. He insisted the boys can pay it off if they chose to do some hunts for him. When the food arrived, they felt their stomachs rumble as they dug in. Each of them split the food with the other, since none of them wanted to order another dish in fear of putting themselves in debt. The fish melted immediately when it landed on her tongue, dissolving with hints of basil and olive oil that lingered even after she swallowed. It paired nicely with Altissian vintages, mostly red wine that opposed the taste of the fresh-caught seafood, but in a good way. The flavors didn’t clash, nor did they overpower each other. Every single element was hand-curated by Weskham himself, and boy did it show. Everything tasted so damn good. 

“I’m stuffed,” Prompto leaned back in his chair. “That was some of the best food I’ve had in a while-” he stopped when he saw Ignis raise his brows, “-not that yours isn’t really good either, Iggy.”

Lady dabbed at her mouth with a napkin and saw the lipstick stain the white cloth. Retrieving a tube of lipstick from her purse, she got up. “Be right back, gonna perform some maintenance,” she said, waving the makeup item in hand before turning to find the restroom. 

As soon as Lady got up to excuse herself, Gladio leaned closer to the bar, eyes trained on her until she disappeared into the restroom and finished his drink in one gulp before setting it down. “Weskham, do you know someone else that can use the royal arms? Someone that isn’t King Regis or Noct.”

Weskham stopped polishing the mug in his hand and gave them all a weary look in turn. “Were you waiting for that young lady to leave before having this conversation?”

“We ran into someone in our journeys. Someone rather..troubling. He stands around this height-” Ignis motioned, approximating 6’2” with his hand. “Rather unscrupulous shoulder-length hair, the color of..” his eyes stopped at the glass of liquor in his hands. “Wine.”

“He gives me the creeps too,” Prompto added. “Has eyes that are kinda dark and yellowish.. like a daemon.”

“And he can summon the armiger,” Noctis restated, furrowing his brows together. “But his are red.. almost like they’re corrupted.”

Weskham carefully set his mug down, placing his hands flat on the table before glancing at them again. “He didn’t engage in combat with you then.”

“How do you suppose that?” said Gladio. 

“Because you wouldn’t be here asking me that question,” the old retainer replied coldly. “The man you speak of is called Adagium. Surely I don’t need to tell you how truly dangerous he is?”

“Lady seemed so scared of him..” Prompto said softly. “I’ve never seen her scared of anyone.”

“Scared or traumatized?” Ignis said aloud, making the group’s heads snap up towards him. “Is Adagium his true name? It sounds false.”

Weskham’s lips formed a thin line and a crease formed between his brows. “That man’s name..” he gave Noctis a cautious look, almost hesitant to continue. “Is-“

“Hey guys!” Lady appeared, giving them quite the surprise. 

“Back already?” Gladio cocked a brow. 

“I don’t take  _ that _ long, I just said I wanted to freshen up,” she pouted. “If you don’t mind though, I want to explore Altissia more. I’ll see you guys back at the hotel.” Waving to them, she picked up her bag of clothes and turned to walk towards the pier. Waving down a gondola, she boarded and gave them a smile just before her boat disappeared around the corner. 

“That was weird,” Prompto said aloud. “But it is getting pretty late, should we turn in already?”

“Yeah, I’m beat,” Noctis rolled his shoulders. As he got up, Weskham reached over the bar and grabbed him by the arm. 

“About that man, I mentioned..” he started, then shook his head. “Perhaps it’s better you ask your father. But whatever you do Your Highness, if you absolutely must, do  _ not _ face him alone.” 

His departing words made a home of unease in Noctis’ stomach and the prince nodded. Together, the Lucians left Maagho’s with uncertainty clouding their thoughts.

*******

Lady washed her hands, leaning over the counter of the restroom to make sure her lipstick wasn’t smudged. When all seemed in order, she got up and pushed the door open with the toe of her shoe. The first thing she saw was how the bar was now empty. No Lucians and no Weskham in sight. Her bag of clothes wasn’t even there anymore and she assumed the guys took it with them. 

_ Did they go on without me? _

Feeling a bit abandoned, she stopped when a gondolier passed by her. “Good evening, ma’am. I’ve got your ride right here.”

“My ride?” 

“Yes, I’m supposed to bring you back to your hotel,” he said.

“Okay..” she said slowly and got into the boat cautiously. Something wasn’t right. She sat where she could face the gondolier and clutched her hands to her side, ready to strike at any given moment. Altissia was not in the least bit familiar to her, so all the turns he was making didn’t seem totally out of place and after a while she relaxed- though only a little bit. More moments passed and the boat finally stopped, docking to the side as the gondolier motioned for her to disembark. She was glad to and looked at her surroundings, her caution rising again when she realized this place wasn’t at all close to her hotel. The building in front of her looked more like a diplomat’s house, taller and more reserved than the open-door hotel by the riverside she stayed in. 

“Excuse me, who told you this was my-” turning back around, she stopped talking when the gondolier and his boat was gone. Blinking a few times, she suddenly thought she was going mad. Something definitely wasn’t right. Someone wanted her here. Making her hand go lax, she prepared to summon her sword. And when she heard footsteps approach her from behind, it appeared in her hand and she twirled around to bring it down, only for it to be caught mid-air by her wrist. 

Dark amber eyes stared down at her and she struggled to gain her hand back. “Is this really necessary?” she hissed as her hand was released. 

Ardyn held up a bag.  _ Her _ bag of clothes. “How else was I to steal you away from those boys you call your friends?”

“You could’ve asked like a normal person,” she frowned. 

“But we aren’t normal, you and I,” he smiled at her. 

“What do you want?”

“I ask myself the same thing every day, my dear,” he reached forward and took a strand of her hair between his fingers. “Oh how I’ve missed your little distractions. Care to join me tonight?”

“No,” she said firmly and took a step back to leave until her wrist was caught again and she was pulled back. “What makes you think I want to be with you?”

“Because you do,” he brought her closer and closer until their chests touched. “And because you desire it.” Tilting her head back, he admired her. Like a sliver of moonlight. “Come now, you’ve done so much today,” his finger traced her bottom lip. “Let this be your reward.”

Was it foolish that she allowed herself to be pulled into his arms? To let him kiss her under the pale light by the waterside? 

Their bodies never parted, even as he led her into his room, even as they tore off each other’s clothes. The mingling and mixing of limbs continued on into the night, neither of them showing interest in it ending as they took advantage of each other over and over again without shame. 

  
  


*******

Ardyn sat up in bed, glancing to his right at the woman laying beside him. Both of them were completely nude with only the shared blanket conserving what was left of their decency. The window in this room granted it with a generous amount of light, though a heavy curtain on one side allowed the other to remain in shadow unbothered. Sunlight draped Lady’s side of the bed, drenching her with soft yellow rays. Her face, soft and sleeping, was turned towards him and he could still see the remnants of his kiss on her lips. Meanwhile, his side of the bed lined up with the line dividing light from darkness. He was shadowed, kept away from the fiery star that would burn his skin upon contact. He tilted his head, his hair catching the rays and turning it lighter in color. The color of freshly crushed grapes.

A sudden hint of an emotion he could not yet identify filled him and he slowly reached over to her side; crossing the threshold that he knew would singe him when there. His finger soon came into contact with her hair and he felt how soft it was. When he disturbed it, a scent of fresh flowers filled his nostrils to which he delighted in. The rest of his fingers came through, then his hand, then his arm. He stroked her face as he did her body; memorizing every curve, every blemish, every scar. 

Smoke soon came from his exposed arm in blowing vapors and he let out a low growl as he watched his flesh burn before his very eyes, the pain continuing to hurt even after years of enduring it. The starscourge that he was once tasked to heal was the very thing that plagues him now as an unmitigated cancer. Slowly eating at him but never killing him. An unending death produced by the darkest daemons one could only hope exists in a nightmare and not walking on this earth. 

Lady moved, her eyes opening as she reached up. Covering his arms with hers and at once, the burning sensation ceased. She scooted over to him, a gesture she made carelessly in her sleepy stupor, but to him- was a great deal. 

“Do you want me to close the curtains?” She mumbled, words slurred and heavy. Taking his hand, a soft green light came from her palm and the burns on his skin were quickly healed even though it would’ve done that on his own volition. She knew this as well, but did so anyways. When he didn’t answer, she turned over to lay on his bare chest as wings erupted from her back and kept him safe from the harmful rays. 

“Will you ever stop inviting me into your bed, chancellor?” 

Ardyn smiled, caressing her face in his hand as white feathers landed near his head. “I’m immortal my dear, not unreasonable.”


	29. XXIX

_Ardyn ran through the field of golden reeds. In front of him was a lone oak tree, its leafy extensions providing shade for a small figure clad in white with a head of pale blonde hair. He picked up the pace just as his heart did, elated to see his beloved._

_“Aera!” he took a moment to take in her beauty that he was still in awe of even after all this time. Reaching for her, she did the same with a relieved smile on her face. Though it quickly dissolved as she looked to the side, her light blue eyes widening in horror._

_Turning around, Ardyn bit back a gasp as another figure approached them. Dressed in dark blue robes and ornamental fixtures that only befitted the royal family. His dark blue hair was swept over his light, olive-toned skin and matched the deep blue of his eyes._

_“Somnus!”_

_Somnus raised his hand across his chest, bringing it down as a sword appeared out of thin air. “Forgive me, Brother.” He raised his glaive, admiring the craftsmanship. The royal family was given twin glaives at their son’s births- Somnus and Ardyn were each granted one in hopes that the matching swords would unify the brothers.._

_How optimistic they were._

_“But the throne seats only one.” Somnus brought the glaive down swiftly and Ardyn braced himself for the impact. His body tightened and he expected to feel the cold edge of the sword soon, until-_

_“Noooooo!!”_

_A mix of pale yellow and white jumped in front of him before collapsing to the ground. The white on their figure now drenched in disgustingly bright red._

_“Aera!” Ardyn screamed, falling to his knees to scoop her up in his arms. “Gods, no!!” Aera lay in his arms, convulsing as the red seeped into his clothes as well- binding them. He glared up at Somnus, seeing how the blood still dripped on his sword, freshly harvested. But there was no time to lash out, he needed to save her. To save Aera, his beloved._

_Surely the divine gift the gods bestowed upon him would help. That was his calling. To heal the sick and feeble. He wanted nothing more than to fulfill that role._

_Though he did his best to fix her wound that continued to open, he could only watch as she grew limp in his arms. Those beautiful eyes of hers, the ones the same color as the sylleblossoms that she tended to in their home, lost their light and closed forever. Ardyn shook her, calling for her, crying her name as he tried to do the impossible task of waking the dead._

_Somnus walked behind him, leaning over to whisper in his ear. “No matter what you do..”_

_Ardyn buried his face into her neck, his tears mixing with the blood that spilled from her lips._

_“..You will always be a monster.”_

Ardyn opened his eyes, pulled from his daydream as another voice became clearer. That voice repeated the question that they asked earlier, but for conversation’s sake they asked it once more. 

“Who’s Aera?” Lady said, leaning forward on her elbows. She already knew who Aera was, in fact. Aera Nox Fleuret, first in the house of the Oracles, meant to serve as the messenger of the god’s words. What she really wanted to know was who _was_ Aera to _him_. 

“You already have that knowledge,” he sipped his coffee, the liquid black as night and bitter too. He swore he tasted the remnants of blood on his tongue. 

“I was just asking..” she trailed off, looking up at him before glancing back down. “You were calling for her in your sleep you know.”

“Is that so?”

“You seemed sad.”

“What I feel is none of your concern.”

“Why won’t you tell me? I can help you.” 

Ardyn leered at her over the rim of his cup, setting it down only after he took a generous sip. Bitter. “As I told you my dear, my past doesn’t concern you. It’d be wise of you to stop seeking it.” 

Lady frowned. “So only you can know things about me? How is that fair?”

“I don’t recall claiming I was an advocate for fairness.”

She gripped the arms of her chair. “No. I guess not.” Her face turned towards the window, but she didn’t see much as the glare of the sun blinded her while Ardyn remained hidden in the shadow thanks to the thick curtain pulled across it. “But I have a hunch Somnus and Aera is part of the reason you want to destroy Lucis, am I right?” Repeating their names in her head, she glanced back at him. “Somnus and Aera, they look like Noctis and Luna.. If that’s the case then is that why-”

The cup in his hand returned to the saucer with a forceful slam, startling her. She watched as the whites of his eyes turned black and the veins crossing his forehead also gained that ghastly color. “I recommend-” his voice was much, much deeper, “-that you don’t finish that sentence, my dear.”

“Why?” she pushed on. “Why won’t you tell me? You already know so much about me- my life. I just want to know about yours!”

He chuckled. “Do you think just because I had my way with you many times it grants you the privilege of asking me such personal questions?” He blinked and the black scleras turned back to normal, but his eyes retained that horrible yellow glow. “Is this what you do- bed those ‘friends’ of yours so that you may see what secrets they keep?”

“I don’t-” she swallowed the lump in her throat. “That isn’t what I do.”

“I’m surprised no one else has questioned your methods for recruiting more of those sorry fools into your inane harem. You truly are a depraved creature.”

Lady flinched under his words, tearing her eyes from him as she felt the back of her neck heat up. “It’s not like that,” she whispered. “It’s not as if there’s love involved. They needed the distraction, just like you.” She closed her eyes. All she wanted was to hear about what problems bothered him. All she wanted was to help. But she forgot one vital thing about Ardyn. 

That he hated pity. 

“Is that your excuse to promote your own promiscuity? If so, I can see why none of your relationships progress past carnal pleasures.”

_Ouch._

His words were a harsh slap to the face and she could only stare at him and try not to say anything she would regret. A pit fell into her stomach and she inhaled, stifling a sigh that came out jagged and rasped. Instead, she stood up slowly and walked towards the door, only stopping by his chair on the way. She let her hand fall to his shoulder but stopped just before her fingers could touch him. They curled up into her palm and she retracted, leaving him alone. 

Ardyn waited for her hand, but it never came and when he heard the door click shut he raised the cup to his lips again. When the dark liquid hit his tongue, he grimaced when it tasted much more bitter than it had just minutes ago. He remembered her face, so vulnerable, so eager to get closer to him.. 

Then he remembered Aera. 

Gripping the cup tighter, he crushed it with his fingers and as he watched the broken porcelain cut his hand and give way to blood so dark it appeared almost black- something inside him broke as well. He stood up straight, sending the chair back as he swiped the rest of the cutlery on the table flying towards the wall in a rage-filled thrash. Tilting his head back, he inhaled sharply, trying to recompose himself- but all he could see was her face and he felt the sorrowful tinge of regret. 

Somnus’ words echoed in his ears and he was once again filled with anger. 

_“No matter what you do. You will always be a monster.”_

*******

Lady stared down into the water at her own reflection, grimacing when she looked as if she were about to tear up. Wiping at her eyes that were dry at the moment, she sniffed. His words hurt, but they were true and for that reason they hurt even more. 

So much for trying to help him with his problems. Idiot. 

She just wanted to have fun. Opportunities like this always slipped by her as she always had something she had to do. As a child, as an adolescent, and as a soldier. But still, it was no excuse. She just didn’t think there’d be any harm to it.. Again, not an excuse. 

“Are you alright?” 

Jumping, Lady swiveled around and met the pretty face of Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. It was no surprise that she’d be here. Lady slept over in Ardyn’s bed, which happened to be at a diplomat’s house that was lent to the Imperial envoy consisting of him, Luna, and Ravus. 

“Luna!” Lady cleared her throat to make any pitiful noise leave her voice. “Hello, it’s good to see you again!”

Luna wasn’t convinced by her act. “I’ve caught you at a bad time. What’s wrong?” They skipped the formalities of acquaintances meeting after a long while, or in this case- acquaintances that meet after one was taken into their care. 

“Nothing, just stuff. It’s not important.”

“I know,” Luna said slowly and Lady panicked. “You’re troubled on how to summon Leviathan, right?”

“Oh, yeah, I am,” Lady smiled and this time she didn’t have to fake it. It truly was one of the problems that occupied her: how to summon Leviathan without drowning Altissia in waves. “Have any tips for me, O great Oracle?”

Luna returned her smile. “Just the one. When your mother asked if Leviathan still slept underneath this city, I assumed she would want to awaken her.” 

“Can I ask you something?” She turned to her suddenly. “What do you think of her- my mother, I mean.” 

“She’s a dedicated woman. Her willpower is something I admire greatly,” Luna stood beside her on the precipice overlooking Altissia’s streets. Having fasted and embarked on a pilgrimage to the shrines of the previous Oracles, it was an honor meeting someone with such a devout sense of duty akin to hers. “Before we came here, her words gave me strength.”

“I see..” It wasn't quite the answer she was looking for, but it didn’t matter. “How does it feel? To be Oracle?” 

Luna laughed. “She asked me the same thing too, in fact. I’ll give you the same answer I gave her. It’s-” she let out a resigned sigh, “-difficult. With so many people counting on you when things go wrong within our world..” They watched the crowd of festival-goers mill about, unaware of their conversation. “My apologies, I don’t mean to sound ungrateful.” 

“You don’t,” Lady reassured her. “If anything, you just sound like you got a lot on your mind too.” Placing a hand on her shoulder, she offered a smile. “We don’t know each other that well, and this may seem weird- but please rely on me if you have anything you want to talk about.”

Luna seemed grateful for this tiny act of unity and nodded. “You have my gratitude, and this offer extends to you as well. There’s still the current dilemma you face now, Leviathan, right?”

“Yeah..” Lady eyed the sheer amount of people on and near the canals. “With this festival going on, I don’t think it’s really safe. I guess I can wait it out, no biggie-”

“You musn’t!” Luna’s voice rose and earned a confused look. “It’s pivotal that this plan moves quickly.”

“Uh, alright? What do you have in mind?”

“Altissia is granted the gift of being ocean-locked,” she said as she pointed to the far horizon. “Leviathan can appear in any body of water, not just in the city she sleeps in. If we were to go out far enough..”

“She can be summoned where no one gets hurt,” Lady muttered, going over the details in her head. “Wait a second. ‘We’? No offense Lady Lunafreya, I’m not dragging you into a covenant with me.”

“I’m coming,” she straightened her back. “It’s my duty as Oracle to serve as a medium to the gods.”

“This one in particular gobbles people up that piss her off. Your brother would _kill_ me.”

“Ravus isn’t my handler,” Luna seemed irate at the mere mention of her guard dog. “He is dear to me, but these are decisions I must make for myself.” 

Lady watched her, uneasy at the thought of giving into her request. “And what if I can’t protect you?”

“I have full faith that you will.”

“Gods,” Lady closed her eyes, not believing what she was about to say. “Fine. When do you want to go?”

“Tonight.”

“Tonight?!” Lady exclaimed and Luna shushed her, looking over her shoulder to make sure no one heard that. “I knew we were going soon, but not _that_ soon. Are you sure about this?”

“I must stress to you the importance of this task.”

*******

By the time she returned to the guy’s hotel room, there were already a few missed calls from all of them and she braced herself for the moment she would come into contact with their questions. Opening the door, she was met with four surprised stares of different hues and she did her best to seem like she slept peacefully last night when in truth she didn’t. Ardyn being between her legs from dusk till dawn made sure of that. 

“Hey guys, sorry. I ended up getting my own hotel room.” It wasn’t really a lie, technically she did. It was just under someone else’s name. “What are you guys doing today?”

“We were planning to go see some more sights,” Gladio said with a cocked brow. “You good?”

“Yeah,” she took a seat by the coffee table with Ignis reading a newspaper on a chair beside her. 

“Find anything in that library yesterday?” Prompto asked her. 

“Well..” her fingers twitched just as Ignis lowered the top of his newspaper, just enough to see her. 

“If there’s something bothering you, you can tell us,” he said and she gave him a confused look as to how he would even assume that. “Your fingers,” he answered without being prompted. “They twitch when something ails you. Your middle, followed by your index.”

At this, she chuckled. “Nothing escapes you, huh Iggy?”

“I do my best,” folding the newspaper into a neat rectangle on his lap, he gave her his full attention. “Now, care to enlighten us?”

So she told them. Everything she found she already knew, especially concerning the Astral she seeked. She told them what really bothered her: her mother. 

“I mean, can’t anyone perform the Final Summoning?” Prompto hopped down from his seat on the bed. “What’s the big deal with that?”

“You can’t just perform that if you’re any regular person,” she frowned. “If anybody could do that willy-nilly, how many people do you think would line up for the chance to be given god-like powers? And even if they could, you wouldn’t enjoy that status long. You would die right after.”

“This summoning technique.. What’s required?” Ignis asked. 

Placing a hand over her chest, she looked down. “Your heart. Whatever made you human. Gone, poof, just like that. You don’t age, you don’t feel, you’re stuck there while everyone around you grows old and dies. Like I said, you don’t live long afterwards anyways because you’re struck down by Bahamut. I suppose that’s some type of mercy.”

“So what does this have to do with your mom?” Gladio piped in then stopped himself. “You said she performed that ritual, so then-”

“How is she still alive?” Ignis said and she nodded. 

“Remember how I died?” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Prompto flinched and she immediately regretted her choice of words. “Moments after, I woke up in Bahamut’s palm. He saved me for something he had planned. So what if..” she really didn’t want to finish that sentence. 

“What if your mom was saved the same way?” Gladio completed her sentence for her and she gave him a grateful nod. “Shit. Where would that leave us then?”

“ _If_ that were the case. Remember that this is all pure conjecture,” Ignis reminded them. 

“We confront her?” Noctis looked at her. 

“No!” Her voice raised in panic. “Trust me, we want her more of an ally as opposed to an enemy. For now, stay quiet about it. I’ll handle it when the time comes.”

They nodded in understanding, remaining silent until Noctis spoke. “You said you have to give up your heart for the summoning? Why not the rest of you- since everything about you is human too?”

“We were created in the god’s image, remember?” She wagged a finger at him. “Ah, don’t tell me you guys don’t know?”

“Don’t know what?” 

She leaned back, looking at Noctis square in the eye while her hands played with the collar of her dress. “The gods don’t have hearts.”

*******

It took some time to actually get the boys distracted enough to where she could slip away with the excuse that she was saving up her energy for the covenant. She felt bad lying to them, but compared to Titan- Leviathan was much worse and she didn’t want to be responsible for ending the Lucis bloodline if Noctis got dragged into the depths of the ocean. When they were out of sight, she broke into a sprint until she found her way back to the diplomat’s house. A window was open with white curtains flowing out to meet the wind and a single candle stayed on the ledge on the cusp of extinguishing. It was the signal her and Luna agreed on to notify which one was her room. Scaling the wall that separated the house from the rest of the city, she snuck into the yard and below the window. 

Taking a pebble from the ground, she tossed it at the window pane. Not long after, Luna’s head poked out from the balcony before disappearing back into the room. A series of white sheets were soon tossed over the windowsill, tied into knots with each other that thudded lightly against the stone wall. Lady stifled a snort. _How cliché_ , she thought. 

Luna helped herself off the windowsill, tossing her legs over first and did her best to intertwine her legs to grip the blankets. Her heels would only take her so far, though. Not bearing the thought of the Oracle of Tenebrae suffering a sprained ankle, Lady tugged on the sheets and sent Luna falling down with a yelp. Catching her, Lady’s shoulders shook with laughter. 

“Sheets? Really?” She stared at the makeshift rope. “That was your plan?”

“Ravus had guards posted at my door,” Luna said as she was let down. “It’d be difficult to distract them.”

“Gotta hand it to you, princess, you’ve got spirit,” Lady handed her a hoodie. “You’re gonna need this. Otherwise you’ll get recognized.” 

“What about you?”

Lady grinned. “I’m not the Oracle.” 

They both climbed down the wall- rather, Luna clung onto Lady’s back as she scaled down slowly, being extra careful to not slip and send them both tumbling to the floor. That part was easy, the next one wasn’t as such. 

In a full crowd, Lady saw four familiar heads talking to another. “Shit,” she cursed, ducking behind a wall. Peeking around the corner, she saw Ignis talking with Aranea while the other boys were behind him. To see her with Luna huddled in an oversized hoodie was not the line of questioning she needed right now. 

“Let’s go this way,” she motioned for her to follow down an alternate alleyway, staying ahead of Luna by only a couple inches. Though she suspected that no one would check up on Lunafreya for maybe another half-hour, she still wanted to be careful. “I’m assuming Ravus will be mad?”

“Very much so.”

She grimaced. “If I protect you from Leviathan’s wrath, you have to protect me from his.”

Luna let out a tiny giggle, feeling a genuine thrill from what they were currently doing. She felt alive. She felt free. “I promise.”

Getting through the crowds towards the pier was getting annoying at this point, but it provided them with camouflage so she shouldn’t really complain. Once at the pier, she spotted their boat they arrived in and hopped on. Reaching down to pull Luna onboard, Lady fished the keys from her pocket with a sly smile. When Ignis wasn’t looking, she snatched them from his pocket in a rather successful attempt. Pickpocketing was a useful skill as it turned out. Good thing she had an excellent teacher, courtesy of one Angeal Hewely. 

Starting the boat, she turned the wheel portside and headed towards one of the huge gated exits. When Luna tried to take the hoodie off, Lady stopped her. “Not yet, not until we’re out of the city.” Returning to the confines of the hoodie, Luna waited until the shadow of the gate cleared the deck until she tried again. Though at that point she found the hoodie too comfortable and decided to keep it on instead. 

“Thanks for taking care of me before,” Lady said, her eyes never leaving the horizon. “I really appreciate it.”

“Of course, it would be wrong to leave a wounded woman alone,” Luna huddled into herself. The sea breeze grew colder without the confines of Altissia to hold it. She grew concerned on how the other kept warm, seeing as how she wore a shirt that exposed her back. Luna wanted to ask how her temperature was faring and why she would choose such an exposed piece of clothing, until she looked down at the shadow cast on the deck and saw two large wings jut out of her silhouette. 

“Must you always wear clothing to accommodate your wings?” 

Lady looked at her over her shoulder. “Yeah. Only when I know I need them for sure. Other times, not really.” 

“It must feel wonderful, being able to fly.”

Lady’s lips pursed into a thin line. “Sometimes even wings can’t grant you your freedom, princess. Sometimes it’s the thing dragging you down.”

“What do you mean?”

Thankfully driving while distracted was easier in the boat than the Regalia. After all, there was nothing to crash into out on open water. “I was an experiment. Those very experiments first gave me my wings- or _wing_ , I should say.” _A one-winged angel_ . Her hand gripped the wheel tighter. _What a joke._

“My apologies, had I known it was a difficult topic..” Luna trailed off and Lady turned to smile at her, letting her know that it was alright. “I have another question, if you don’t mind me asking.”

“Shoot.”

“Last night, I saw you and the Imperial Chancellor-“

_Oh fuck._

“-talking outside. Forgive me, I wasn’t eavesdropping. I only saw both of you in conversation.” 

_Thank the gods._

“Are you two close?”

“We-“ Lady swallowed. “No. We’re not close at all.” _He only uses me to sate his boredom and sexual desires. Before that he drugged me, kidnapped me and we had an epic battle in the Crown City that resulted in me losing my eyesight._ “Just acquaintances.”

Luna leaned back against the leather lined seat. “My brother doesn’t like him much.”

“Huh, I wonder why,” she scoffed. “Him and Noct have that much in common.” 

At this, Luna was now alert. “Noctis is in Altissia, right?”

“Yes.”

“How..” her hands wrapped around each other. “How is he?”

“Same old Noct, as far as I can tell. But you probably knew him longer than I did.”

“Tell me, how did you meet him?” 

Lady thought back to the past, remembering it vividly with a smile on her face. They had plenty of time to kill, so why not? “Noct showed up to the apartment complex I owned back in the day called the ‘Alstroemeria’. It was funny, actually. Him and Prompto were there during a party my friend Axel, er- Lea threw. Noct drank a little too much I guess and he was really nauseous so I sent the two home to find some aspirin.”

“Really?” Luna chuckled, envisioning a tipsy Noctis. The Noctis she knew was a child that came into their home, wounded and quiet. Imagining him older as a young man doing what young men usually did, it brought her joy. 

“Yeah. I thought it’d be the last time I would see them, but lo and behold, Gladio and Iggy show up with an official letter from King Regis asking me to protect and hide the prince from the war until it was safe to return. It was fun having those boys around. Those four with my other friends would always get into crazy shenanigans at the apartments.. those were the days.” 

Lady found herself grinning at the memories. “Those boys would drive me crazy though, those four along with my other tenants. They also did stuff like overloading the AC unit, throwing all-nighters that ended up with one of them passed out in the courtyard.. one time they even tried to throw me a party, complete with fireworks.” She let out a laugh, shaking her head at the thought of what happened next. “Instead they ended up scorching my gardens and destroying my gazebo. It made me so mad that I just stormed out.” 

“As much as I cared about all of my old tenants, I really felt like I was handling a bunch of children sometimes,” she continued. “They even _followed_ me when I was trying to leave for vacation. Couldn’t escape them no matter what I do, like my own little group of kids. But it was fine, we ended up seeing floating lanterns at a festival by the sea so I guess that made up for it.”

Luna laughed along with her, imagining the pure chaos that ensued within the walls of the Alstroemeria “Is there more?” She was eager and wanted to hear about the fun things they did. It sounded so delightful. 

Lady’s laughter tapered off. “That’s as happy as the story gets, princess.”

“What happened?”

Lady was thankful Luna couldn’t see the remorse in her face as it was turned away. “I couldn’t protect them.” 

“From what?”

“...Myself.”

*******

“Lunafreya,” Ravus knocked on the door, waiting for a response. “Lunafreya are you awake?” When no noise came from the other side, he knocked once more. “I’m coming in.”

Walking in, the first thing he noticed was the lack of his sister. The second was the open window with the tied up sheets going off the sill. Peering over in hopes to catch her mid-attempt, he scowled when all he saw was the grass of the garden. Lunafreya was gone. 

Walking out, he glared daggers at the guard stationed by her door that apparently failed at his job. “Lunafreya is gone,” he stated coldly. “Did you hear anything the past hour within her room?”

The guard stood with an about face. “Uh, no sir. Wait. I did hear a scream outside her window.”

Ravus stepped closer to him, his tall figure shadowing over. “And you did not think it important enough to check? Never mind. When did you hear this?”

The guard glanced at the grandfather clock ahead of him. “Maybe an hour ago?” 

Without another word, Ravus left him. At other times he would rob this man of his career, but right now he had more important things to take care of. Like finding his sister. 

*******

Prompto hanged back while Noctis and Ignis chatted up Aranea, trying to find out more about what Ravus was up to these days. What an Imperial commodore was doing talking to them so casually, they had no clue. The war was over but the tension remained, but none of that was evident in Aranea for she simply didn’t care what flag you waved. 

“Look, pretty boy, I don’t exactly care about my job but that doesn’t mean I can tell you some juicy gossip just for free,” her hand was on her hip, glaring down at the prince with dark hazel eyes. “No can do.”

“Aranea is just gorgeous,” Prompto whispered to Gladio. “Oh gods, I don’t think I can decide!”

Gladio snorted. “Oh yeah? On what?”

“Aranea, Cindy, or Lady? Which one is the best?” he asked with misery in his voice. “C’mooonnn. Help me out.”

“Are you serious right now?”

“Yes!”

“Why are you always like this? Are you that touch starved? Did you even have your first kiss?”

“Yes, of course I have!” Prompto exclaimed with a pout. “It was great, thank you very much.”

“Uh-huh, did you have to beg for it?”

Prompto turned bright red. _Bingo_. “N-no…”

Gladio roared with laughter, clapping him on the shoulder with such force that it made him jump forward a bit. “Poor girl. Bet you bit her lip or something on accident.”

“Did not.”

“Did too.”

“Did not!”

“Heh- _hem_ ,” Aranea glared at them both then did a head count. “Hey, where’s your lady friend? Thought she’d be here with you.”

“Probably locking herself in a library scrolling through ancient texts,” Gladio replied, his voice overlapping Prompto’s. “So you’re a lance user, huh? Bet you know how to work it pretty well.”

Aranea looked him straight in the eye. “I’m not touching that. Tell that sweet little thing to call me when you see her though. I was owed a dinner date.”

“What?!” Prompto pushed past Gladio’s arm. “You two?!”

“Yeah, blondie, just us girls,” she then smiled. “Got a problem with that?”

“No, of course not!” he rubbed the back of his neck. “Just wonderin’ how you knew Lady.”

Aranea raised a finger to her berry-stained lips. “That’s a secret, blondie. Just between me and Dollface.”

‘Dollface’. A new moniker gained for Lady. 

“Commodore Highwind,” Ravus appeared from the crowd, then stopped when he saw Noctis and his entourage. His face then twisted into pure displeasure. “You, where is Lunafreya?”

Gladio took point, standing in front of Noct protectively and performing his duties as the shield of the king. “What makes you think we know?”

“Who else would help her sneak out of her room?” He growled. 

“Look around,” Ignis also stepped forward. “We aren’t escorting her currently so it must’ve been someone else. If the need is dire, we can also help you look.”

“I don’t require your assistance,” Ravus raised his nose up at him. “How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

“They are,” Aranea said. “I was here with them for a while. I would’ve seen the princess if she was here.”

Ravus frowned at this and Ignis seemed to realize something as he immediately reached inside his pocket, then his other, and even his coat pockets. When he was done searching, he closed his eyes and released a pensive sigh. 

“What’s up?” Noctis asked him. 

“They’re gone,” Ignis replied with a deadpan look. 

“What is?”

“The keys.”

“To the boat?” Prompto asked. “Maybe you misplaced them?”

Ignis shot him a stern look. “I _never_ misplace things.”

“Then who took the- oh.” Prompto inevitably reached the same conclusion as he did and soon so did the rest of them. 

“Shit,” Gladio muttered. “What now?” 

“They took a boat to open water, it’ll be like finding a needle in a haystack,” said Noctis. 

“Commodore,” Ravus turned to Aranea. “I require your airship.”

“No offense, commander, but if it took you this long to check up on Lady Luna then she would be quite a distance by now.” Aranea crossed her arms and looked towards the sky. “Hm, but something tells me we don’t have to search everywhere. What did Dollface come here for again?”

“A covenant,” Noctis replied. “With Leviathan.”

Aranea guided their attention to a patch in the sky that was darker than the rest. A storm brewed and even at their distance they could hear the deafening sound of thunder booming. “Then I think I know where those two are.”

*******

Seventeen nautical miles away from Altissia seemed to be a good enough distance. A storm was overhead when it was clear just minutes ago, as if Leviathan sensed their presence. The engine purred as it stopped and Lady looked into the ocean, feeling a shiver go up her spine when she saw how only pitch black underneath the thin layer of blue that lapped hungrily at the sides of their boat. 

“You know how to drive a boat, right?” Lady asked Luna. 

“I’m afraid I don’t,” she stood up. 

“It’s kinda like driving a car. You..have driven a car before, right?” Once again she responded with a negative and Lady sighed. “Come here, let me show you.”

“Why?” Luna followed her up to the driver’s seat. 

“Because if something happens to me-” she handed her the keys, “-get yourself as far as you can and don’t look back.” 

“But-’

“I’m serious,” Lady looked at her in the eyes. “Don’t look back.” Returning her attention to the controls, she pointed out the engine gauge, how to calculate north, and even how to steer. Their mini-lesson went as far as making Luna do a couple turns at the helm to make sure she knew how to take the boat back in the worst case scenario. “That should be enough to take you back to the gates at least. How do you feel about it?”

“It’s fine,” Luna said, never having to drive anything before in her life. As princess and Oracle, the driving was always left to her numerous chauffeurs. This was just another new experience for her. “I still wouldn’t feel right with leaving you here.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she waved away her concern. “I’ve been through worse.” Staring at the installed clock on the dash, she frowned. “Is that time right?” It read ‘4:38pm’. Looking towards the parts of the sky that wasn’t muddled with dark clouds, she was even more confused. “Why is it so dark out?” 

It wasn’t the storm that made her question that. It was the fact that the sun hung way too low across the horizon for only four in the afternoon. Double-checking the time on her phone only made her suspicions worse. 

“It’s part of the prophecy,” Luna whispered and Lady looked at her. “‘When darkness veils the world, the King of Light shall come.’”

“‘Darkness’? And who is this ‘King of Light’?”

Luna seemed nervous to talk about it, but forced herself to break through the invisible barrier that barred her from doing so. “The King of Light refers to Noctis. When he ascends the throne as the one True King, all who are enthralled to darkness will cease to exist.. One of whom you already know of.”

Enthralled? To darkness? The gears in her head rolled and Luna watched her in anticipation as the realization finally hit. “You know about Ardyn?” It would explain why Luna was curious about their relationship earlier. The next question in queue was: why didn’t you tell anybody? But that too was answered immediately. What _could_ anybody do against Ardyn? Even if he was killed a hundred times, he would just come back a hundred more. “Why does Noctis need to ascend the throne?” 

“There is no real reason,” Luna could only cite the prophecy and never provide a clear answer. “It is said that when our star dies and darkness takes over the world, the True King will bring back peace and light to our world..” she took a deep breath. “In exchange for his life. This is why I chose to come, so that I may see if it is possible to save Noctis from his destiny.”

“What?!” Thoughts of Noctis- sleepy ol’ Noct filled her mind. The young prince who loved video games and sleep and hated vegetables with a heated passion- only to be made a sacrificial lamb. It filled her with rage. “Who was it that told you of this prophecy?” 

Thunder clapped loudly and a torrent of rain began to collect and fall onto them. Luna prepared to be struck with raindrops and looked up only to see a large white wing provide her with protection. Lady’s wings extended far enough to shield Luna’s whole body from the rain, though it provided her with no such cover and she soon became drenched. 

“Don’t listen to Bahamut,” she muttered, rain tracing the bridge of her nose. “He’s full of shit.” Her eyes slowly turned to her, and Luna saw them glow. “Is that all to the prophecy?”

She shook her head. “The reason Noctis is demanded as a sacrifice is because Bahamut negotiated it with Ardyn.” 

“‘Negotiated’?” Lady was getting more and more pissed the more she heard. 

“Gentiana told me. When you took in Shiva’s spirit, it allowed her to speak freely. Bahamut could not defeat Ardyn, the immortality given to him made that difficult. In exchange for ending the Lucis bloodline, Ardyn would be granted reprieve and that also ends the scourge that he holds inside of him.” 

Why would _that_ be the thing that would be exchanged to grant Ardyn his revenge? Unless- 

She exhaled. He was undying, given life eternal. Suffering more than he had lived. If there was anything Ardyn desired more than ending his brother’s bloodline, it was release. He wanted all of this to end. He wanted to be with Aera. 

He wanted to die. 

A tinge of sadness pricked her heart and she threw it away immediately. Now was not the time to reflect on that.

_One problem at a time._

Stepping towards the side of the boat with Luna remaining under her wing, she raised her hands in prayer and shut her eyes. “Shall we start?”

Luna mimicked her stance, holding her clasped hands close to her heart and opened her mouth to sing. A sweet lullaby fell from her lips, a set of vocals that could usher the stars to crowd in the sky right above them just so they can hear it better. Her voice rose to a high crescendo, piercing the heavens with the lovely sound and went as low as to touch the rocking waves; it sounded like something she could be lulled to sleep with. 

The singing stopped, replaced by the dreaded sound of something approaching them. Something big. Then it stopped and it was still. 

_“What fool mortal dares break the slumber of the Tide!?”_ A voice speaking the language of the Six screamed from the deep. 

“It is I, Lunafreya, Blood of the Oracle! Goddess of the Seas! I beseech you: enter into this covenant so that this woman might restore balance to our star!”

A giant beak rose broke through the tension of the ocean’s surface, followed by a large head covered with a carapace and elongated scaled body. Fins extended from the midsection, forming makeshift wings when folded back across the large expanse; large droplets of water crashing down made the boat shake, making Lady hold Luna still as they beheld the colossal serpent before them. 

Leviathan stared down at them, fury encased in her eyes as it let out a roar that sounded like waves violently beating a cliffside. Her fins swept across the open sea, sending out a torrent that rocked their boat and almost capsized it. 

_“This wretched pile of bone and flesh, ignorant of that which governs All, comes to requisition the might of a goddess?”_

Luna stood steadfast. “I do.”

_“What does a lowly, ephemeral speck know of All Creation!?”_ Leviathan swept her beak at them, denting the starboard gunwale and rocking them more. She reared back, spotting Lady and let out a low growl. _“You! Half-breed! You have the insolence to approach one such as I!”_

Both Luna and Lady, understanding the language of the Hexatheon, shared a confused look. There was that word again. ‘Half-breed’. 

“Leviathan!” Lady yelled over the waves. “I require your power! Forge the covenant with me!!”

Her response? Jets of water that streamed towards them and knocked both of them down. Lady scrambled up, helping Luna up as they tried to steady themselves. They were playing a dangerous game, one wrong move and it would send them tumbling into the sea and into Leviathan’s mercy. 

_“Blasphemous ingrates, all men, quick to forget the ages their goddess stood watch!”_

Luna’s dress was torn at the sides, a red bruise forming on her legs as her borrowed hoodie was drenched. “It is in receiving mercy that men offer praise, and in shedding grace that the gods solicit worship.” 

_“Yet this profane speck promotes this ‘Half-breed’s’ heresies before a full-fledged goddess! Insufferable sacrilege!”_ Leviathan reared her head back, opening her wide maws and dove towards them. 

Lady brandished her sword just as light appeared in Luna’s hand, shooting upwards just as Leviathan’s jaw clamped down on the boat. Luna pushed back, bringing the light forward as it exploded in an array of stardust that sent Leviathan backwards. In her hand, teeming with glow, was a trident. Crafted carefully with silver and adorned with pearls, Lady had seen that trident before. The very same that Aera once wielded. 

Leviathan let out an irritated shriek, shaking her body as the light shook from her scales. 

“I vow she will prove herself worthy!” Luna cried. 

_“If not, then the Feeding shall begin, and it shall not end until every last speck is devoured!”_ Leviathan lowered herself to eye level. _“So let the covenant be forged. Heaven and Earth, High and Deep, Birth and Return… “_

Luna gripped her trident, looking to Lady. It was her turn now. 

Taking her sword, her wings arched upwards before lifting her up in the sky and diving straight for the Tidemother; her foot connected with the beak, knocking her head to the side as pillars of water formed. They were shaped like daggers and came towards her to which Lady deflected with ease, slicing them in half and sending them behind her. Panic then rushed through her as she turned around, raising a barrier around the boat that held Luna just as the pillars collided with the magical shield. 

One of Leviathan’s fins swiped at her and sent her flying into the water, but not long after she dove below the surface, she broke through. As soon as her feet touched the surface, it turned into solid ice and she jumped over the coming waves, ice protecting her from falling through as she deftly dodged more of Leviathan’s beams of water. Ducking once more, she launched herself up as her wings sprouted and guided her up the belly of the beast. Slicing vertically, the Hydraean let out a bellow of fury as blood the color of the deep sea poured out into the ocean, blending in almost immediately. 

_“You impious half-breed! Your mother has sent you on an errand made for fools!”_

Lady brought her hand up, turning the incoming stream of water into pure ice and watched it crash below. “Why the hell do you keep calling me that?!” Taking her sword, she dragged it across one of the main dorsal fins. 

_“Your mother made the flagrant mistake of never speaking the Truth unto you. You will expire upon my seas never knowing!”_

“Like hell I will!” 

Luna watched from the safety of the boat, seeing how Lady’s wings guided her up and around Leviathan. The sword in her hand, merely an extension of herself, danced and left scathing cuts in its wake. White feathers beat around streams of water, soaring high to avoid them like they were caught in a performance. The angel’s silver blade cut across the hardened scales of the Hydraean, swirling across like a hurricane mid-air. Through the loud crashes and magic being spouted at each other, she could not hear the words they were saying as it only blended with the background noises. 

_“Insignificant Child of the Stars.. Why is your mother not present?!”_

“Why do you care?!” Shifting her body weight to the left, she jumped up on a fin. “What do you want with her?” 

_“The words being imparted are not meant for ears such as yours, if the Half-breed Child truly wishes to forge a covenant then let it be done, but only after the Truth is revealed!”_

“Shut up,” she said through gritted teeth, turning another fin into slit-like ribbons. “Tell it to someone who cares!”

_“Do you not want to know why your father was truly killed?”_

Lady froze, staring up at Leviathan. “..What?”

That moment was interrupted as Leviathan’s tail raised, wrapping around Lady’s waist and pulled her down into the ocean. Luna went to the side, their boat still being protected with the barrier as she watched her body disappear into the depths. She screamed her name but it was drowned out as Leviathan dove down beneath once more, leaving the Oracle alone on the surface. 

*******

When she was just a kid, no one believed her when she told them a mermaid had taught her how to swim. 

_“Not like that, impudent child,” the mermaid chastised her when her arms flailed bout like a seal’s. “You will drown.”_

_“Well it’s not like I have fins and a tail like yours!” She remembered screaming back as the mermaid lifted her out of the water with a single hand and tossed her back onto the beach._

_“You deny your birthright,” the mermaid bared her teeth at her tantrum, revealing a set of fangs that were akin to a sea predator. “It is unfitting.” A webbed finger pointed back to the open water. “Try again! To not know how to conquer the tides is a sin in and of itself!”_

_“But Levi!!” the child whined, spouting the nickname she had for the mermaid as she could not know how to pronounce her full title yet. “You know I can’t!”_

_“Enough of your inane prattle!” The mermaid growled, then stopped. “If you were to be drowning, I will bring you back to shore. Now go.”_

That same mermaid appeared now in front of her, as beautiful as the day she last saw her. Swimming towards her, she saw the dark blue hair that fell in waves around her waist, highlighted with streaks of teal and braided around her head with mother of pearls. A large tail swam behind her, some of the scales torn up as if it had been cut along with the fins appearing shredded. Her skin, as pale as the light streaking through the waves, were marred by fresh wounds and blue blood seeped through the skin and rose to the top. Her eyes, dark yellow with serpentine pupils stared back at her with the same scrutinizing look that she imparted when Lady refused to take another lap in the ocean. 

_Levi_ , _right? No. Leviathan_. The goddess of the seas came to see her as a child, as did the others. Memories from so long ago only now resurfaced, but why? Why only now? 

_“You were forced to forget,”_ Leviathan swam closer, taking Lady in her palm as her looming figure blocked any light from the surface. This was her human form, and just like Shiva- it was more gorgeous than any painting or legend ever made or told. Humans were forged in the likeness of gods, but humans didn’t possess the immaculate aesthetic the gods did. Their appearances were too otherworldly, too peculiar, too perfect. 

Behind her ears, fins were tucked behind and bled even still as Leviathan raised Lady closer to her face. On her shoulders were another set of fins, made to look like wings that carried her effortlessly through the tempestuous storm. _“This is my requirement if I am to impart my power unto you, Child of the Stars. You must learn of your origins.”_

Wrapping her webbed fingers around her, Leviathan raised a pointed nail to her chest and pierced it slightly. Lady let out a cough, allowing the water to rush into her lungs as she struggled within the Astral’s tight grip. A cloud of red appeared from where her nail poked through her skin and only then did Leviathan release her, raising her palm to help her struggle to break through the surface. 

Lady’s head poked through the waves and gasped hungrily for air, kicking to keep herself afloat. 

“Lady!” Luna flagged her down from the boat and she swam over, hoisting herself up and collapsing onto the deck. “Are you alright?” 

Breathing in air, she tried to feel relief but only felt a heavy pressure on her chest and her body felt incredibly weak. Closing her eyes, she swallowed and tasted the vile flavor of salt coat her throat. “I’m fine,” she rasped. “Just need to..catch my breath. Then I’m going..back.”

“No, I’m taking you back to Altissia,” Luna propped her up against a seat. “You’re wounded.”

Lady didn’t even realize the parts of her body that were cut due to the adrenaline of their fight, but she supposed it was fair, seeing as how she did the same to Leviathan. Red bruises bloomed on her skin and she leaned back, closing her eyes as Luna piloted the ship back to the city on the waves. 

*******

The storm allowed no one to pass through the gates and it also made air travel perilous, so none left the city. Luna had Lady’s arms wrapped around her shoulder as she supported her getting off the boat and onto the wooden platform. Thankfully barely anyone was on the streets right now, so they made it back to Luna’s lodgings rather easily. And of course, who else waited for them there besides Luna’s own flesh and blood?

Ravus looked ready to lash out but stopped when he saw the blue and red stains on Lady’s body, as well as the absolutely drained look on her face. 

“You were both irresponsible for even thinking of attempting to take on Leviathan alone,” Ravus let his searing words fly at both of the women. Lady’s head turned down in shame, not wanting to meet those heterochromatic eyes that she knew were staring down at her with scorn. “But you..” his attention shifted to her. “To drag my sister with you in this fruitless plan of yours-“

“What are you gonna do?” Lady held her stomach as she hunched over slightly, forcing herself to enunciate the garbled words that came out of her mouth. “Kill me? Go ahead. Leviathan already did half your job for you.”

“I chose to go with her,” Luna interjected. “Don’t blame her for something I wanted to do myself.”

“First you defend the Lucians for bringing the Empire to our home..” Ravus ignored her. “Then you make up excuses to go fulfill some prophecy from a hazed dream. You are not to leave this room again, Lunafreya. I forbid it.”

The calm demeanor on Luna’s face wavered as something inside her snapped; she stepped forward, a rare crease forming between her pale brows. “You are wrong to hate King Regis. Niflheim killed mother, not him. They murdered her and made you their lapdog.”

Ravus’ eyes darkened, beckoning the coming of a storm. He glared at Lady and she froze, as if she was the one who was about to be reprimanded- maybe she was. He opened the door, signaling for her to get out and she stood there for a moment; glancing to both Luna and Ravus before ducking her head and exiting. His foul mood wouldn’t get better while she was there. As much as she hated it, she would have to leave Luna.

The thick carpet muffled her footsteps and gave way to the raging storm just outside that traveled ever closer. The sea battered against the city in an attempt to reclaim it, dark clouds gathered overhead- Leviathan was properly angered and it was her fault. She had to go back out to calm her in some way. Holding a hand to her head, she winced when there was pressure building up inside. Slowing down, she pressed her head to the wall and hoped that the cool marble would somehow quell the stinging pain that began striking at her brain. Something then blocked off her throat and she held her hand there to try and pry the invisible hand that grabbed her. But it wasn’t a hand, rather, it was liquid. 

The matter rose from the depths of her airways, filling her alveolar sacs with seawater and drowning out the blood vessels. It tasted like tears as it exited out the sides of her mouth and she gripped onto the curtain in an attempt to steady herself. Coughing, the seawater spilled onto the carpet below and staining it darker; her vision began to blur and not even the thick carpet could mute her fall as she collapsed and tore the curtain down. 

Ravus burst out of the room, looking towards the noise and saw her lying face down on the floor. Pushing past Ravus, Luna ran towards her and took her in her arms. Shaking her in an attempt to wake, the two Nox Fleuret siblings could only watch as the ocean filled her lungs and spilled from her lips. 

*******

“What happened?!” Noctis saw Lady limp in Ravus’ arms and his eyes immediately narrowed, ready to accuse him. 

“Be still,” the white haired prince hissed at him. “This was not my doing.”

“The failed contract with Leviathan,” Luna stepped between them before it could escalate any further. “That’s what’s causing this.”

“What do we do?”

Luna shook her head. “I’ve prayed to Leviathan, but she won’t hear me.” This was partially the truth, in fact, the Tidemother refused to listen. She wanted to gain attention, but from who? The Oracle hadn’t the faintest of ideas. 

“First things first, we should evacuate the city and draw Leviathan’s attention as far away from Altissia as we can,” Gladio uttered, taking Lady from Ravus. 

Rushing to her side, Noctis held her hand and was shocked at how cold it felt. When he looked down, he saw how the tips of her fingers turned blue and even her lips began to take on the same faint hue. “Why didn’t you let us help??” 

Lady’s eyes were half-lidded as she smiled lazily at him. “It’s much harder to wake you up, Noct, believe me-” a cough interrupted her and she spat out seawater as she held her throat. The abrasive salt began to burn her mouth and she remained silent in fear of irritating it. 

“We gotta get help,” Prompto said, hoping someone they knew had the answers. But it would be a difficult one to find a solution for. After all, how do you help someone who was drowning on land?

“We’ll need to borrow your airship,” Ignis told Aranea and the commodore nodded. 

“Hand her here, I’ll take her where you need to,” she replied and Gladio refused. 

“Nuh-uh, we’re not leaving her alone.”

“Well make up your mind,” Aranea said as an airship appeared overhead, landing on the empty spot just behind her in the courtyard. The hatch opened, revealing enough space to accommodate every single one of them. “Leviathan wants her right? So the quicker we get the hell out of here, the quicker we can get that Astral away from this city.” 

“We don’t know that for sure. Some of us need to stay and make sure that Astral doesn’t tear this place down if she doesn’t take the bait.”

While Aranea and Gladio argued, Luna turned towards the storm. She rose her hands to clasp in prayer and closed her eyes. She didn’t know which god she could address, or if she should even be addressing one at all, but she hoped a god- _any_ \- could answer her pleas. 

Thunder struck a tower above them and the group watched as the rocky foundation began to crumble and topple over. It hurdled towards them and Ravus shielded Luna’s body with his while Noct, Prompto, and Ignis huddled around Gladio to try and protect Lady; Aranea was ready to jump towards the tower and destroy it mid-air with her lance, until she realized it was already cleaved in two. 

A clean cut split it down the middle sandwiched the group between the fallen pillars. As the dust settled, a figure emerged with her katana in hand. Dressed in black, she almost looked like a shadow until what scarce light was available hit her face. 

“Madame Onna,” Luna breathed. “You’re here!”

Onna acknowledged her with a nod then turned her attention to Gladio, more specifically, the body in his arms. “Hand her over.” 

Gladio straightened up, holding her tighter. “Sorry, no can do.”

Onna’s facial expression didn’t change, but it was clear that she was irked. “You would deny a mother her child?” 

“Yeah,” Gladio replied carefully. “When I think the child’s safer with someone else.”

“What are you doing?!” Prompto whispered to him, nervously exchanging looks between him and her. 

Onna sheathed her sword and took a step forward as they took one back. “I won’t ask again.”

“Good, I’d hate to disappoint a beautiful woman twice. With all due respect, ma’am, your daughter might be better off in our care.” Gladio held her protectively while Noctis, Ignis, and Prompto stood beside him with all of their senses on high alert. 

Lady coughed, her body shaking as blood stained her lips and splattered onto her chest. It mixed with the seawater and she coughed some more before going limp in Gladio’s arms again. 

“What’s going on?” Noctis looked back at the red staining her shirt. “Why is she coughing up blood?”

“Her lungs are filled with seawater,” Onna stated calmly. “The salt drew out the vessels from her organs and is now filling in where air should be. In only a few minutes she’ll be drowning in her own blood if it isn’t by the water first.” All of them were shocked to hear this and looked to each other with concern. 

“You’re pretty relaxed for someone who’s watching her daughter choke on her own blood,” Gladio growled. 

“Will panicking help? Will screaming help numb the pain or drain her lungs or provide her with oxygen?” asked Onna. “You can only comment on what you see on the surface. None of you are well-equipped to handle what’s to come. Please, hand her over.”

“Sorry,” he said. “Not happening.”

Not a second passed after he said that and he was sent flying backwards into the side of the airship, the force making it shake and leaving a dent where his body hit it. Slumping down the side, Noctis exhaled as he watched. “Gladio!” While Prompto and Ignis rushed to his aid, Noctis turned to Onna as spectral weapons burst out of him and surrounded his body. 

Onna picked up her daughter, lifting her swiftly into her arms without so much as a single struggle, as if she were as light as a feather. “You summoned the armiger, young prince?”

“I don’t know what it is you’re planning to do, but give Lady back!” he cried, gripping one of the swords in his hand. Without an answer, she turned around and walked off. This prompted Noctis to strike, hurling his sword at her in a warp-strike. 

It all happened so fast. 

Luna yelled at him to stop and just as his sword materialized right at Onna’s back- something burst from her back in a flurry of red light and he was sent flying and skidding on the floor. He got up, feeling numb where his hand almost touched her and looked up to see a shadow of large butterfly wings at her back before it faded and became invisible. Pushing himself up, he summoned his armiger again as Onna lifted a hand up; with a flick of her fingers, the armiger froze and dissipated into nothing. Noctis was bewildered, as were the others. His weapons, the one belonging to his forefathers, were gone and for the time being he couldn’t summon them again. 

Ignis stood beside him as Prompto did his best to support Gladio. “Who are you?” he asked. “Really?”

Onna ignored their plight, instead looking at Luna. “As Oracle you must already know. I recommend you tell your comrades to not follow me, else they jeopardize their lives.” Turning around, she walked away from them and this time she was sure none would follow. 

“Guys, what do we do?” Prompto watched helplessly as Onna retreated with Lady. 

“You’re joking, right?” Gladio groaned. “What do you want us to do? She tossed me back like a fucking ragdoll.” 

“The armiger..” Noctis was still in shock. “She took it away.”

“There’s nothing we can do,” Ignis replied solemnly. 

“Damn it, she could be delivering her to Bahamut right now!”

“No!” Luna yelled at them. “She isn’t allied with the Bladekeeper.”

“How do you know?” 

“If she was, I would’ve felt Bahamut’s presence when I’m near her,” Luna told them. “She is her own being.”

“Doesn’t matter what the hell she is,” Aranea barked at them. “If we don’t get out of here, we might as all count ourselves drowned.”

“What about the rest of the city?” Noctis cried. 

“I’ll send some more of my guys to pick up as many people as they can, but right now you should be worrying about your own damn self!” 

They huddled into the airship as Aranea marched to the front to give orders; Noctis, Prompto, Ignis, and Gladio were sitting together in a group while Ravus and Luna were standing on the other side. Both parties were quiet and reflecting on the events that just happened. As the hatch door began to close, Luna’s fists balled up and when it almost completely shut, she ran and jumped through the thin opening; she landed on the ground and ran after Onna while Ravus called her name in desperation. 

*******

Onna held her daughter carefully as they walked the empty streets of Altissia. The farther they walked, the darker the clouds became as they approached closer and closer to the eye of the storm. Reaching a plaza devoid of all life that was filled with evidence of joyous festivities, Onna stopped when she saw the line up of six statues depicting every single Astral. Her eyes narrowed at the one at the very end, of the likeness of the god of the heavens. Scowling, she tore her eyes from it and continued on, stopping only when she was met with another figure. 

Ardyn stepped in front of her, glancing down to Lady before Onna. 

“Step out of my way,” she demanded in a quiet tone. 

“Where do you think you’re going?” Ardyn asked her, not missing the fact that the tips of Lady’s fingers were turning a deeper shade of blue due to the cold that racked her body. She appeared just how she did when she forged the covenant with Shiva, shivering and near death. 

“Ardyn Lucis Caelum,” Onna commanded, her voice growing louder. “Get out of my way.”

Ardyn blinked. This woman he had never seen before knew of his identity, and the way she spoke to him- like she wasn’t afraid. Or simply, she didn’t care. When he didn’t move from the spot, taken aback at his secret laid bare, she sighed. 

“I won’t grant you the reprieve you seek,” she began walking towards him. “Your fate is none of my concern.” Brushing past him, he could feel the chill emanate from her and Lady’s limp hand touch his arm gently before passing him by before he could grab it. Onna stopped and looked at him over her shoulder, “But know that you are free to fight the destiny you have been given. Nothing is set in stone, nothing is preordained, not even if the gods assume it to be.” 

Something in Ardyn stirred, watching Lady’s face as she got further and further away with her hand dangling beside her body. An urge to hold that hand in his overcame him and he found himself longing for a chance to save her once more, but he still didn’t move. Onna’s words gave weight to his feet and his heart wavered.

*******

Luna ran as fast as she could, only stopping to take off her heels so that she may run faster. There was one place Luna could think of Onna going to and that was the Altar of the Tidemother. Having knowledge of such holy places gave her the benefit of knowing which shortcuts to take and she soon found herself at the eye of the storm. The altar itself was situated by a large open portion of Altissia, allowing a pool of water to be undisturbed as a sign of respect for the deity they worshipped. 

Standing on the altar steps, Onna grasped her daughter in her arms, holding her close as the waves crashed around them. The golden pin holding back her hair was now hanging loosely, letting the strands fly free with the salted air whipping through. Her eyes, glowing red, peered up at the Tidemother with silent resolve. Speaking in the language of the Hexatheon, the Tidemother let out growls and screeches that were unintelligent to some but it was understandable for her. 

Leviathan cursed at the woman in the ancient language. Letting out bellows that sounded like torrents of water blasting through rocks and unforgiving cries that could be mistaken for waves pounding against the shore. Luna hid behind a pillar for shelter, watching as the water hit the woman in black while protecting her daughter. To her surprise, Onna spoke back.

But did so in the language of the Astrals. 

_“You lock away her memories to serve what purpose? Your feeble attempts to repress her true nature are coming undone and you deny her the birthright of her Creation!?”_ Leviathan screeched, her fins conjuring up a small whirlpool around her. _“You must tell her the truth of her existence!”_

Luna had a hard time making out their conversation over the howling winds and crashing water, but she did hear one part in particular that Leviathan screamed at her:

_“You’re a disgrace to our kind!”_

Luna couldn’t believe what she was hearing. 

_“The life I’ve given her is hers to choose! Only after the eradication of the Bladekeeper will this world know peace and she can live it freely,”_ Onna spoke in the god’s tongue flawlessly. _“Her father wanted that much for her, that is why he gave her life to protect her!”_

_“To reject your status is blasphemous! It is sacrilegious!”_ Leviathan howled. _“You overcame the impossible and gave birth to a miracle, yet you renounce the Gift as if it were a curse instead!”_

Onna’s painted lips were pursed into a thin line while listening to Leviathan’s untethered fury. _“Are you done?”_ she asked the large serpent. _“If not, then allow me to finish what my daughter started. For what other reason do you have to use her to lure me out here?”_

Leviathan remained quiet, only letting out hisses as she sank slowly beneath the waves. When she resurfaced, she was in her human form, though it was still large and towered over the small altar that was erected in her honor. _“Do not count me as a witless creature. To face you would mean centuries worth of sleep. Yours is the very same strength that the Bladekeeper wields.”_ A webbed hand rose from the depths, touching Lady’s chest and taking the sea back from her lungs. At the same time, the ocean became tame and the dark clouds cleared from the sky, returning the calm to the world. _“I grant her the power of the Tide. May it serve her well-”_ Leviathan glared down at Onna, _“-else we all perish under His sword.”_

Just before Leviathan’s body became transparent and disappeared into groups of collected light, Luna heard her parting words and was in even more disbelief than before. 

_“I hope you know what it is you’re doing, Onna. You, who was bestowed the Gift of Ascension. You, who gave birth to a being that is half-human and half-Astral!”_


	30. XXX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My bad guys, got caught up playing Ghost of Tsushima.

_ “Once upon a time, there was a maiden. This maiden lived amongst the aisles of the holy land of Spira where it was said that the gods first landed; cracking the earth and splitting it into separate provinces and continents. There, they created mankind, to worship and to sing their praise. Soon, temples were built to bring the gods their followers, to practice their devout servitude to the god they wished to serve under. This very maiden chose to serve the god she admired the most: Bahamut. King of the Astrals. _

_ “She quickly rose through the ranks, going through rigorous training for her body, mind, and soul to become the High Priestess of the temple dedicated to the Draconian. Soon she was initiated and was beloved by the people of Spira, garnering support as both a spiritual and military leader. But even with all of this happiness and peace that this maiden experienced, she was still troubled by the darkness that plagued her land. _

_ “Something evil has always corrupted Spira for time immemorial. An embodiment of Sin that tore apart the land when their hubris grew too great. Once every ten years, Sin comes to destroy their land and people, and once every ten years, a summoner would perform the Final Summoning. The Final Summoning: a ritual so holy and so divine that only the most devout of summoners may perform it along one other of their choosing to become their aeon. Aeons were a gift given from Heaven. The chance to covet the power of a god in exchange for the summoner and their chosen to sacrifice their lives.  _

_ “On the 113th resurrection of Sin, a summoner chose the High Priestess as his aeon and the god she worshipped turned her into a butterfly. Together, with her summoner and companions, the four of them defeated Sin. Upon her descent back to earth, ready to accept her fate as the Dragon was about to take her life- she saw the truth.  _

_ “That the King of the Astrals was the one who kept resurrecting Sin in order to cultivate and farm the people of Spira’s faith, all to make him stronger. The maiden who was now a butterfly could not let this continue, so she did what no one else dared to do. _

_ “She attacked Bahamut. _

_ “Their battle lasted for what seemed like forever, both of them skilled in the way of the sword and the arcane. The lands gave way to their fight, mountains groaned at their impact, and oceans roared at their seemingly endless spar. Then, after days, weeks, months- it ended.  _

_ “Both of the gods, old, and new, retired to their place of rest. Weary from their time of battle. Him, to his Crystal and Her, to her home hidden in a forest of wisterias. The butterfly awoke first, biding her time and honing her skills in the meantime. Through the years of waiting, she did not age or grow feeble, instead she grew lonely and the thought of a family lingered on her mind. She did not think it possible until she met him. A man who had made her smile.  _

_ “Together they had a child. A beautiful baby girl that had a pure heart, the heart of an Astral. Though the gods possessed no such thing, this was made possible with the love the father had for both his child and his wife. They were happy for a while, but as all happy things, it did not last long.  _

_ “Bahamut heard of the butterfly’s child, of the half-Astral and half-human. He could not stand the thought of it. The dragon arrived at the butterfly’s garden, threatening to raze it down to the ground if she did not comply and once more, they fought. Though this fight was less drawn out as both were still weakened from their previous tussle. It ended once more in a stalemate and both were forced to retire back to their resting places. _

_ “Both slept. Both waited. Both readied their blades for the day that they would clash once more and finish what they started all whilst the Child of the Stars grew.” _

“Whatcha reading there, Marlene?” Tifa stooped over, admiring the painted pictures on the pages the little girl flipped through. “I’ve never seen that storybook before. Did Barret buy that for you?”

“Mm-mm,” Marlene shook her head. “Onna gave it to me!” She pronounced it with a big smile, as the name was fun for her to say. “It’s a really pretty story!” Handing it over to Tifa, she pointed at the pictures. “See?”

“I do,” Tifa nodded, taking it in her hand and quickly reading over the text. After she was finished, she made a face. “It seems..unfinished?”

“That’s what Onna said, that the story is still going on,” Marlene insisted, taking the book back to hug in her arms. “I want to know what happens in the end! Hopefully it’s a happy ending!”

Tifa smiled, “Yeah, me too.”

*******

Onna pulled the blankets over Lady, covering her shoulders and taking a seat beside her bed. Taking out her unfinished project, she began poking the needle threaded with red silk through the fabric but stopped, gazing at her daughter’s face with a somber expression. Reaching over, she brushed a strand from her forehead and found that her body was covered in sweat caused from a fever to fight off an infection. In this case that infection was the souls of four additional Astrals inside of her. Wiping her forehead and neck with a damp, cool cloth, she sat back down and let out a sigh. 

_“Give me back my baby!”_ _Blood dripped down between her legs, staining the temple floors as her screams echoed. “Give her back!!!”_

_ Watching the priests carry the crying baby wrapped in a shawl, Onna cried harder as she willed herself to chase after them. Her legs wobbled and gave way, the blood gathering at a pool just below her as the pain of fresh childbirth racked her body. Dragging herself across the floors she once traveled as its high priestess, she now carried shame with her. A bloody trail was left behind her, sweat gathered on her brow, her breathing was ragged and labored- yet still she persisted.  _

_ Having her daughter being taken away from her fueled her with enough rage to stand up as she chased them down to the ceremonial chamber where they performed their rites. The silhouette of a priest standing before the great fire was all she could see- him, and her baby that he held in his hands.  _

_ “Don’t!!” Onna roared. “She’s just a child! Leave my baby alone!!!” _

_ “We’ve allowed a seventh Astral to live,” the priest shouted at her. “We will not allow an eighth!”  _

_ “She’s still human, she has a right to live!” Onna got closer and yet none of the other priests came towards her out of fear. Even in her weakened state, she was still a force to be reckoned with. They were only able to drag her here while in excruciating pain and force her to give birth, allowing access to her child. “Give her back- and I’ll spare your lives!” _

_ The priest regarded her carefully. “...May the gods forgive us for our transgressions.” He tossed the baby into the open fire and Onna watched in horror before running towards him. She dove into the fire to catch her baby just as the flames burst around them, consuming their bodies. The priests attempted to flee, but a giant wall of ice appeared where their exit should have been. Turning around, they saw Onna step out of the fire, holding her child with a vengeful glow to her eyes.  _

_ “Please,” one of them begged. “Have mercy-” His words were cut short and the other priests screamed with fright when the head rolled in front of them, no longer attached to the body. The base of his head was burned at the edges, cauterized just as it was decapitated. The smell of burning flesh filled the room.  _

_ Onna held her baby by one arm and her other was coated in fire that she made hers, glowing a hot white. Setting her eyes on them, she cut them down one by one and when the walls were splattered with blood, and the floor filled with severed body parts, she sank to the floor and did her best to comfort her wailing newborn.  _

Humming the same tune she sang that day in that bloody temple, she brushed through her daughter’s hair once more before returning to her embroidery. In her carelessness, she pricked her finger and she saw the red bead form at the tip. Bringing it to her lips, she sucked the blood and took it out, watching the wound heal. It had been so long since she’d seen her own blood. It almost made her laugh. No one else managed to hurt her in nearly thirty years, yet a needle was the one to do it. It seems even the most insignificant of objects could be made powerful if wielded by the right person. In her case, it was her nature. 

After all, only a god could harm another god. 

A knock to the door made her look up to see Auron step in. “How is she?” He stopped when he saw Lady sleeping peacefully then turned his attention to her, “How are you?”

“I’m fine, you need not worry.” 

Auron took the cask hanging at his side, the one he always kept filled with wine distilled from rice. “You look like you need this, old friend.”

“A drink is always welcome,” she took the offering and tilted her head back. The wine was gentle at first, then exploded into fire as it traveled down into her belly. Handing it back to him, she watched as he took a shot as well. 

Hitching it to his belt, he shrugged off one sleeve of his red haori and took a seat beside her. “How long has it been since we defeated Sin? Thirty years?”

“I don’t clearly recall,” she lied. “Though if I need a reminder of the time that’s passed, I can just look to your face, old friend.”

Auron smirked. “To be young and beautiful again, maybe it should’ve been me that Braska used for the Final Summoning.” 

“You would give your heart away?”

“I’ve already done that. Once,” he uttered quietly. “Don’t you remember?”

“And yet you still insist on being a bachelor after all these years,” she shook her head. “Braska and Jecht have moved on. Why can’t you? A man with skills such as yours wouldn’t have difficulties finding a wife.”

“Because there’s no one else like you.” Silence hung around them like a shroud and she folded her hands atop each other. “I envy the man who you fell in love with.”

“There’s nothing we can do about the past, we must now look to the future. When the time comes that I face Bahamut again, I’ll need your help,” she pointed her eyes to her daughter. “Will you watch over her when I do?”

“This will be your third time, no? Are you sure you’re ready?”

Onna hesitated. “I don’t have time to rest any longer, it’s now or never.” Standing up, he did the same and they both walked to the door. “We must let the others know. It seems my loyalty is being called to question.”

“Onna.. You’ll have to tell her one day. Of what she is.”

She closed her eyes. “I know.. I just hope I have the courage to do it when the time is right.”

“Courage or not, the more you delay the truth, the greater the wedge will be between you two.”

They exited the room, suddenly stopping when she walked past a Glaive stationed nearby. Studying him, her eyes narrowed and her lips curled into a grimace, revealing part of her canines that were inexplicably nonhuman- seeing as how they were sharpened into fangs. “If you harm her in any way, I’ll make sure you regret it,” was all she said, giving the guard one last glare before turning back around to continue down the hall. The guard bowed his head and waited for her to disappear completely before slipping into the room.

Once inside, the cropped brown hair turned to wine-colored locks. The blue eyes turned a deep amber and his skin darkened to an olive hue.

Ardyn stepped beside Lady’s bed, kneeling so as to not disturb her and took one of her hands in his. Her fingers did not grip his in return and he felt his heart sink at this fact. She was slumbering, but even when she slept beside him in bed did her hands always grip his without fail. He couldn’t stop himself as he caressed her cheek, a familiar feel as he memorized every curve of her body until there was no longer a shadow of doubt. He saw her eyes dart around under the cover of her lids, hinting that whatever dream she was having must’ve been either beautiful to behold or horrifying to witness.

Bringing her hand to his lips, he left a kiss on her knuckles and it was then that she muttered his name in her sleep. Silent awe escaped him, amazed that he would have a place even in her deepest subconscious. Her hand wrapped around his, holding it tightly and he leaned forward. Strands of his hair tickled her forehead and his stubble stimulated her chin as he kissed her deeply. In her dreams, she thought she saw a prince riding to her rescue on a black chocobo and in her dreams she kissed him back. 

*******

Luna and Ravus stood with Noctis, Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto. A single Glaive by the name of Nyx Ulric was posted to stand by the Lucians and commodore Aranea was the Tenebraen royalty’s protection, they were all still quiet and pondered over yesterday’s events. Having nowhere else to turn to, Noctis insisted they fly to Insomnia, much to Ravus’ disdain. They were accommodated to with ease after the situation was explained, but it still wasn’t something any of them could understand. Perhaps Luna did, but she remained quiet, still trying to wrap her head around what she overheard between the two goddesses. 

“Madame Onna,” Nyx stood at attention as she passed them by. She acknowledged him, and gleaned at the party waiting in the room. No doubt waiting for the verdict to be delivered upon her. Not giving them another glance, she walked away and into the throne room where she would hold her audience as the others had already given their recount of their time in Altissia. Noctis had half in mind to join this one too, but his own father insisted he stay out of this one. The dejected prince waited outside instead. 

When Onna disappeared behind the double doors, Gladio let out a frustrated sigh. “Something about her isn’t right. I don’t think she’s on our side.”

“What is ‘our’ side exactly?” said Ravus. 

“You saw what she did,” Gladio shot him a glare. “I don’t know if you noticed, Your Highness, but I’m not exactly easy to carry- and she treated me like I was a twig. Then she took away the armiger. Ever heard of anyone human doing that?”

“But she seems so nice..” Prompto said quietly. “She wouldn’t do anything bad.”

“Don’t let outward appearances deceive,” Ignis told him. “There’s a lot we don’t know, but one thing we can be certain of is that she is a force to be reckoned with.”

“Human, huh..” Noctis repeated Gladio’s words. “If she isn’t human, what does that make Lady?”

This made them all silent until Luna spoke up. “She doesn’t mean to do us harm. If she wanted us dead, we wouldn’t have made it out of Altissia alive.”

“Maybe,” Gladio muttered. “Or maybe she’s saving us up for something else.”

Nyx cleared his throat. “If I may- sir.” The Glaive looked towards Noctis to ask for permission and once the prince nodded, he went on ahead to speak. “Madame Onna’s been training us Glaive’s hard for some time now and without asking for anything else in return. If I’m being honest, she probably wanted to save you because with the way she’s been running drills- she’s preparing for something big.”

“Something big? What do you mean?” 

“The days are getting shorter,” Luna blurted out before she could stop herself. “The sun will soon no longer shine and darkness will swallow the world.”

“What?!” Noctis exclaimed. “How do you know about that?”

Ravus scowled. “All you need do is look outside.”

“Even so, the daemons’ numbers have been reported at an all time low,” Nyx said aloud. “Is there really a cause for concern?” 

“Are they really gone though?” Gladio wondered aloud. “Or just hiding?”

“Like the calm before the storm,” Aranea mused.  *******

“I presume you have a valid reason for aggravating my son and his companions,” Regis began slowly. 

“I do,” Onna answered and she could see the council members tense in their seats. “I rather not waste much time on ceremony- so I’ll speak plainly. Leviathan attacked my daughter in an attempt to lure me out. Your son and his friends intended to keep her from me, yet I needed to bring her back to the Tidemother in order to stop her from drowning.” 

“Forgive me for being forward, but what would the goddess of the seas want with you?”

“To speak.” 

The council shared looks with each other and Regis adjusted himself in his seat. “To speak? That is all? Surely that cannot be the case.”

“Regis,” she spoke his name softly, in the tone of that belonging to a friend. “You are no fool. You knew from the beginning, of my true nature.”

King Regis’ shoulders straightened and he closed his eyes in resignation. “Then it is true what they say about the Final Summoning, that you were turned into- 

“A god,” she finished. “Yes. This is true. This is also the reason the Draconian hunts my daughter and has been for some time now.” On the obsidian stairs leading to the throne, she took a step. “Do you think it was mere coincidence that you were told of where to send your son during the war, right to where my daughter resided? He knew where she was and he bided his time to lure her to Insomnia. Destiny and fate are never that careless. Upon Sin's 113th resurrection, you were also anointed King of Lucis. By the time Bahamut needed someone to help him power the Crystal, you've already expended most of you powers. That is why he chose your son instead, as this 'True King''."

“Do you expect us to believe this story?” Clarus said, the king’s current shield and father of Gladio. “It sounds rather extreme.”

“It sounds like such because it is as such,” she chided. 

“What would your course of action be if we were to buy into this fantasy?”

“Allow me to take the Crystal from Insomnia, move it so that it’s far away and out of reach of any man,” she spoke loudly and watched as the idea stunned the court. To take away the Crystal was to take away Insomnia’s barrier and their own way of life. It was insane, treasonous even. 

“Are you mad?” exclaimed one councilwoman. “Removing the Crystal puts us in danger! What if the Empire seeks to strike us when it is down?!” More protest arose and Regis raised a hand for them to calm down, albeit with much discomfort left hanging in the air. Though the war was over for three years now, there was always the chance the Empire would strike back. 

“I’m aware of the risk. That is why I’ve already prepared Insomnia with a barrier of my own magic, one that can equal to the Crystal’s power. This I swear to you. To rely on the Crystal would be to rely on a mindless and starving animal not to eat you whole whilst dwelling in its den. Thus it must be removed quickly,” she made eye contact with every single councilman and stopped at King Regis. “Bahamut means to use your Noctis to feed the Crystal and destroy the world whilst he alone lives on to cultivate society as he sees fit. I implore you, Your Majesty, won’t you trust me?”

Regis remained silent, his hands gripping the armrests on the throne until his knuckles were white. His response would be one that he would surely be berated by from Clarus and others of the council, but he trusted his gut. Learned in the advancement of his years, the wise king already accepted that the future was always shrouded in uncertainty; despite this, there was only one thing that was certain to him without a shadow of a doubt: that he would do anything to keep Noctis from being used as a sacrificial lamb. 

“Of course.” 

*******

When Onna emerged from the throne room, she saw the waiting group outside. They were surprised to see her back so soon as the hearing did not go on long enough to give them time to disperse. The only thing that changed was the new addition to the group, that one being Xion. 

“Madame,” she greeted her. “I hope your travels haven’t been troublesome.” 

“Nothing I cannot handle,” came her reply. “What can I help you with?”

“I heard Lady- er, your daughter came back. We just need some blood samples for a cure for Vincent.”

“Is he having a hard time controlling his inner beast? Tsk. How troublesome. Nevertheless, I cannot allow you to bother my daughter.” Rolling up the sleeves to her kimono, she raised her brows expectantly. “Mine will have to suffice.”

Xion fidgeted. “Are you sure?” 

“Whatever blood runs in mine is also in hers. In that sense, we’re one and the same.”

“Why won’t you let us see her?” Noctis asked and felt his soul shrink when those red, shimmering eyes turned to him. “The last time she made a covenant, she was fine.”

Onna had a set pensive look on her face, turning her attention to Nyx. “If you’d be so kind, Glaive. Escort the prince and his retinue to their quarters. This needn’t be a public event.”

“No offense, madame, but the stuff you’re doing isn’t really fostering a lot of faith in us,” Gladio remarked, shoulders squared and appeared to brace himself to be thrown again. 

“‘Foster faith’?” Onna chuckled loudly then smiled and for a brief moment they saw her canines, sharpened into thin points. “Is that what you think I came here to do? Let me tell you something-” Gladio blinked and the next he opened his eyes, she was there in front of him. Moving quick like a shadow and carrying the faint scent of wisterias from the wind that fled behind her. “There are things in this world and beyond it that neither you or anyone in this room can understand or even hope to. So I strongly suggest you don’t question that which you can’t comprehend.”

Gladio scowled, though he stared her down there was something about her that made his animalistic instincts go haywire. “..What are you?”

“Do you really want to know?” She didn’t even give him a chance to answer. “I’ll ask again, please escort them out.” Nyx and Aranea had no choice but to obey her command and escorted their respective parties out. All except for Luna, who stood fast and unmoving. 

“I’d like to stay,” she said. “Please, madame.”

Onna regarded her carefully. “Very well. Shall we get this over with?” Raising the kimono sleeve again, she held it out towards the girl. 

Xion forced her hands to stop shaking as she raised the syringe to Onna’s arm. Finding the vein, she positioned it and pressed through the skin only to watch in utter shock as the needle snapped in half. She couldn’t hide her surprise. “It..it broke..?” 

Onna exhaled softly. “Allow me.” She held one of the open tubes for Xion to hold and she did so. Bringing her pointed nails to the base of her wrist, she used the side to slice it open and Xion watched as the skin there was cut like paper. Blood dripped out from her wrist and into the open tube, and she had to slap herself mentally to remember to switch to the other one just as the first was getting full. When they were both reasonably filled, Onna closed her hand and tightened it, watching the skin repair itself where it was damaged. Fixing her sleeve, she spoke. “I assume there’s something on your mind, Lady Lunafreya. Or was it perhaps something you overheard?

Bingo. Luna felt ashamed. Ashamed to have been eavesdropping and even more ashamed to have been caught. She chose her words carefully. “You.. Is it true then? What Leviathan said?”

There was not even a scar left on Onna’s wrist. “..Every word. Yes.”

Luna held her hand to her chest. “Why would Bahamut want to kill her? She posed no harm before he attacked her.” 

“For the same reason he wanted to attack me, I’m sure. Knowing my daughter, she must’ve refused his offer to serve under him. After all, the power I possess and handed down to her is strikingly similar to his. As the old adage goes, ‘if you can’t defeat them, join them’- or in his case, force his enemies into subjugation.”

It still wasn’t all that clear to Luna. Why would Bahamut pick her, out of everyone else in the world that he could easily control, seize in the palm of his hands? He could’ve picked her, the Oracle, or Noctis, even Ardyn. Anyone that possessed some sort of power. “Why?” she repeated aloud.

Onna’s eyes captured her. “Why do we pick flowers?” 

*******

Rolling the dice onto the board, she watched in anticipation as the multi-sided die landed with an ‘9’ displayed in numeric value. Emyd pumped his fist in the air when he saw it. “Woohoo!” he cried, “My lucky number!”

“Keep it down,” Xigbar pushed him, almost making him topple off the bed. “Go on, babe. Your turn.”

“Okay..” Moving her piece over the board, she landed on a tile indicating that she was to draw a card. Doing so, she frowned as she read aloud. “‘You become stuck in the Realm of Darkness for a decade. Delay two turns’- what?! Why?!”

“Sucks,” Lea snickered, taking his turn and grinning when the die rolled to his favor. “Sweeet, I’m catching up!”

“I thought you guys were here to make me feel better,” she mumbled. “Not kick my ass.”

Roxas bumped her shoulder. “We can go get something to eat after this. My treat, how ‘bout it?”

Lea poked him. “Gonna pay for me too, bud?” 

“Hell no, that offer wasn’t for you.”

“Well look at that, losers, I win. Again _. _ ” Xigbar pointed at his player piece. It was shaped like a chess bishop with a star. His was similar to hers, except hers had a fox mask topping her piece. “Looks like you’re stuck in the Realm of Darkness forever, princess.”

“Whatever,” she flicked his piece down and watched it topple. “This game is terrible.”

“I had fun though,” Emyd already ceded to his opponents and was braiding her hair this whole time, although terribly. “That big water snake wasn’t that bad, was it?”

“She was alright,” Lady hummed. 

“Speaking of water stuff,” Emyd continued. “There’s this world with fairies, pirates, and mermaids. We should totally go visit!”

“So much for world order,” Roxas rolled his eyes. 

Xigbar chuckled. “At this point who cares. You sure you wanna show her that place? The one with the white rabbit and card soldiers is way more fun.”

“More like trippy,” said Lea. “I hated doing missions there, always felt like I was high. What about the one where it’s Halloween all the time?”

“‘Hallo-ween’?” Lady frowned. “What’s that?”

“It’s this thing where they dress up as monsters and you go get candy and-”

“Guys!” Xion ran through an open corridor. “She’s coming back! We gotta go!”

“Oops, that’s our cue,” Xigbar stuffed the player pieces into his pocket. Leaning over, he pecked her on the cheek. “Seeya later, babe.”

“Eek!” Emyd shoved the board into his jacket and hopped off the bed, leaving half of her hair unbraided. “C’mon, hurryhurryhurry!” 

“Gotta bounce, Lady. We’ll go on vacation after you get better- promise!” Lea held his pinkie up in the air with a grin and she held hers up too. 

“Hang in there, ‘kay?” Roxas let go of her hand and ran after the others. 

The open corridor was over the ledge of the balcony to which Xigbar berated Emyd for. “Are you a moron? Why’d you make it horizontal, it’s supposed to be vertical!” 

“Who cares, just jump!” They all dove into the corridor and she watched it swallow them up one-by-one just as her bedroom doors opened and her mom walked in. 

Onna looked to the open balcony door, her daughter’s half-braided hair, and four distinct depressed spots on the bed that surrounded her. She shook her head, “Did you at least have fun?”

_Damn_. Nothing escaped her. “Yeah, I did.” 

“Good,” Onna sat beside her on the bed. “Now will you please take this time to rest?”

*******

In the guise of one of the king’s men, Ardyn stayed put beside Lady’s bedchamber. To undergo a deception so deep into enemy territory to watch over someone was the last thing he had in mind for something to do in his long, long life. Still he persisted and no one else had the faintest that he didn’t belong. All except for Onna, whose eyes seemed to never fail to see truth. But for some reason, she allowed it and he didn’t question it.

Something bothered him. She should have been up walking about now. Other times, it didn’t take her half as long to recover from the covenant- but this time was different. It no doubt took a toll on her: mind, body, and soul. He should know. He knows of the price to be paid for forging a covenant. 

Still, a part of him regretted not being the one to care for her during the aftermath of Leviathan’s wrath. Instead he watched her from afar, watched as Onna carried her daughter with large wings and took her back to Insomnia. He followed. For what else could he do? 

Onna’s words lingered in his mind and tasted bitter on his tongue. To change his fate, to alter destiny- was such a thing possible? 

The door to Lady’s room opened and he watched in shock as the woman occupying her thoughts stepped out. The nightgown she wore glowed white around her body and gave the appearance of an angel that descended from the heavens. One strap fell off her shoulder and he so desperately wanted to reach forward to adjust it. As she walked towards him, he saw his opportunity to do so, but something stopped him. 

The look in her eyes were blank, almost a milky white where her regular irises shone. 

Ardyn sensed something was wrong. Coming out of his disguise, he stepped in front of her. “My dear, can you hear me?” 

She did not and continued to ignore him as she brushed past, the strap on her shoulder still in need of an adjustment. Not knowing what else to do, he grabbed onto her shoulder and immediately was seared by blinding, white light. He flinched at the luminosity, as bright as the sun and just as hot. When he stumbled back, he peeked through the cracks in his fingers and saw the light die down though not completely. It hovered over with a ghostly sheen as she continued down the hall, driven by some unseen force.

*******

Sitting in one of the towers of the Citadel was the Crystal, the seat of the Astral’s powers. It was forbidden to be here unless you were of royal blood. The tower was sealed by closed doors and security, but tonight it sat empty and the doors opened for her with ease. 

Overlapping voices filled and sang by her ear, luring her to step closer to the Crystal. No one was around, or at least that’s what she thought. As far as she was concerned, it was only her and the Crystal, and no one else- not even in the whole world. The voices didn’t make out words, at least not in any languages she could understand. The gaping section that split the geode of the star in the middle gleamed and glowed, making her mesmerized and the urge to touch it was overwhelming.

The voices that were once unintelligible to her now spoke with clear understanding. It had changed languages, skipped dialogues, until it found the one that sounded familiar to her ears.

_ “Come, Child, and embrace us. Take this seal, break it.”  _ In front of her was a paper script, with the handwriting belonging to her mother.  _ “Break this seal, let us see you.” _ A force that was not her own urged her to raise her hand, wrapping her fingers around the seal and ripping it. Just like that, the blinding white walls she saw broke down and she was staring at a familiar scene. Her family garden, appearing just as it did before it was burned to the ground. 

In the distance she could see her father, smiling at her and waving. His blue yukata was stained with dirt, a common problem he had as he always tended to the gardens.  _ “C’mon kiddo, just cooked up dinner! Let’s stuff our faces!” _

She smiled, happy to see her father again. Sunlight beat on her face and she walked through their gardens; seeing all the white flowers, white trees, white water.. it was all so pure. Serene. Beautiful. 

She wonders if her home really did look like this, or had it been so long that she forgot what home looked like? 

Her father waited for her under a large tree with wide branches. He sat down on a white blanket, patting the spot next to him as he eagerly waited for her to sit down. She was so happy. After all these years, she could spend time with him again. Taking a seat, she leaned against the tree as he rubbed her head with a tearful smile. 

_ “I love you kiddo, you know that?” _ He sniffed.  _ “I wish I was there to watch you grow up.” _

“Dad..” she reached out to touch him, expecting to feel the yukata under her fingertips but was shocked to feel something else entirely. 

The cold exterior of a rock. 

A gasp ripped from her throat and the sudden whiteness of her environment blinded her and forced her eyes shut. When it died down, she saw what she grabbed and trembled when she found herself staring at the Crystal of Lucis. Its center was devouring her arm, pulling her inside as she struggled to retrieve it. Even with all the force she could muster, she couldn’t even move a muscle. “What-?!” She screamed, trying to tug at the force that dragged her inside. “Shit!”

As chains of light burst from the center and wrapped around her waist, tying her arms together, and rendering her legs immobile- she screamed louder. 

_ “Child of the Stars. Your time to stand amongst the gods has come. Serve, and you shall be saved with grace. Defy, and you shall be reduced to dust. The time has come for Ascension. Where there were Six, you will become the Eighth.” _

_ Eight? Eight Astrals? There’s only supposed to be six!!!  _

The Crystal gleaned her thoughts.  _ “As your mother ascended to become the seventh.. Your addition will allow us to grow stronger.” _

For a moment she stopped struggling.  _ What the hell.. does that mean?  _

“Mom..” The Crystal dragged her in closer. “Mom!!!!”

The doors behind her slammed open with force as Onna burst in. With her katana in hand, she cut the chains of light holding her but was unable to do anything as one of the broken chains wrapped around her neck instead. Twisting the sword in hand, she cut the binds that held them and erected a barrier to protect them from further assaults. Onna held her daughter as she gasped for air, collapsed onto the ground as they watched the chains try to break through to get to them. Uttering words that belonged to the language of the Six, the Crystal dimmed and the chains fell limp to the floor before disappearing. 

“It’s alright,” Onna whispered. As she spoke, she studied the room and saw the seal she posted on the Crystal to be ripped off and discarded on the floor. This came as a shock. How did she manage to undo her enchantment so easily? “You’re okay. You’re fine.” On her whim, crows flew into the room and lined up on the balcony railing overlooking Insomnia. There were plans to move the Crystal tomorrow morning, but it would have to be tonight. “Get this wretched thing out of here- where no one will see it ever again!” The crows cawed loudly, gathering around the Crystal and enveloping it in a wave of shadows and black feathers. Before long, it was gone, as were the crows. 

“What was that?” Lady’s lip trembled. “It spoke to me, it said there were eight Astrals.  _ Eight _ . What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

Onna swallowed the words she wanted to say. The truth that she wanted desperately to put out was right there at the tip of her tongue- but something stopped her from saying it. Fear. Utter fear. “It matters not.” She hated herself for saying that. “You have to rest now-”

“No!” Lady pushed her arms off of her and stood up. “You keep hiding things from me and I’m sick of it! Tell me what’s really going on! What’s your plan here?! The Crystal kept telling me I needed to ‘ascend’ and Leviathan and those priests called me a half-breed. What the hell’s going on?!” Onna could only look at her with sadness and it made her even more frustrated. “Is there something you’re not telling me? Are my parents even human?”

“...Your father was.”

A pit formed in her stomach, weighing her down and making her feel as if the ground below was giving way. “Tell me-” Lady’s voice rose. “Tell me what I am!!”

There was no other way to run now. It was now or never. “Your father was human,” she repeated, wanting to solidify that fact. “But I… When I performed the Final Summoning with Braska, I survived and managed to keep the power I was given.”

Her worst fears had been confirmed. Lady felt dizzy. “Y-you’re…”

“An Astral.” Onna’s words were absolute. “As are you, but only half. It is why the Draconian seeks you, it is why he will hunt you- for the rest of your days and mine. It is also the reason why we must defeat him as soon as possible.”

Her knees felt weak. Her breaths felt shallow. “Why didn’t you tell me-?” her words came out as a squeak. “This whole time, I-I thought.. I thought I was  _ normal _ . You  _ lied _ to me..!”

Onna started towards her, in an attempt to embrace her and hold her trembling body. “I only wanted to-”

“I don’t care what you want!” she screeched. All of her anger, all of her hate- it came out in one messy onslaught. “You only wanted to cover up your mistakes! Because of you..” The thought she wanted to express was vile, but at this point in her blinded rage, she could care less. “Because of you, dad got killed!!!” Whether it was the truth or not, she didn’t want to know but the way her mother flinched confirmed what was just said. “You’ve lied to me my whole life, left me alone to fend for myself after his funeral, and now this?! I-” 

Lady closed her eyes, squeezing them shut to try and stop the tears. “Go away,” she whispered, her voice cracking at the ends. Every step Onna took towards her resulted in her taking one back. “I don’t want to see you ever again!” A blinding light made her fall back and when Onna could open her eyes again, all she saw was an empty room and a flurry of white feathers drifting to the floor. 

*******

Sephiroth adjusted the cap over his head. Granted to him as a gift, he was told by Genesis as a sort of ‘disguise’, but that was not the word he would use for it. It was just a ball cap, bought from one of the vendors in the slums; perfect for when he needed to pull down the lid over his eyes if someone gave him an odd look. It smelled oddly of gunpowder and he imagined that’s what it was smuggled with to get down below from the upper plate. Stopping, he stared up through the broken rafters of the warehouse he walked in, seeing a glimmer of the dazzling lights from above. Oh how he remembered the times living up top. How he was worshipped, how he was feared. 

_ ‘All hail the great war hero, all hail Sephiroth!’ _

“..What a joke,” he muttered to himself. The dark blue cardigan he wore flapped over the white tee underneath, providing him little protection against the stale, chill winds that flew through the cracks in this decrepit place. It took some time getting used to wearing plainclothes, or regular civilian clothing, all the time. The jeans he wore seemed tight on him, but he was assured that was supposed to be the style. In times like this, he found himself missing the fitted Shinra togs he wore on missions. They always fit him like a glove and were tailored perfectly to the T. 

Wind rushed through rusted pipes and it sounded almost like distorted children’s laughter. This place was unsettling. This place being the train graveyard connecting Sector 6 to Sector 7. It used to be a bustling area, using rail lines that operated on electricity, an ancient by-product using generators. Ever since the conception of mako, though, electricity was seen as old news and thrown away in favor of the much more convenient and useful mako energy; paving the way for the ShinRa Electricity Company to rise to infamy. 

Those days he spent walking around the company building, he felt like a ghost. Like he shouldn’t have existed. A being with no purpose, no mother, nobody. Until he met his friends. 

_“Hey- you!”_ _A 2nd Class recruit hollered at him as he strode in the company training room with a walk just oozing with swagger. “Sephiroth, right? I’m Genesis,” he flipped his short auburn hair to the side. “How about a duel? If I beat you, then I’d be qualified for First.”_

_ “Genesis,” another 2nd Class pulled him back, this one a bit taller with cropped black hair. “Quit it! My apologies sir,” he said to Sephiroth. “We won’t disturb you any longer.” _

_ Genesis dodged the other ones' attempt to grab him. “Don’t try to stop me, Angeal. This is my chance to be a hero!”  _

Sephiroth smirked at the memory. It wasn’t much of a fair fight, Genesis’ own cockiness became his downfall and was dispatched rather quickly. This didn’t deter him though, as he kept coming back to challenge Sephiroth every week with Angeal in tow, ready to haul him to the medic’s room as soon as the fight was over. Soon they had conversations before they fought, going so far as to share a lunch before the match. Soon they became friends and would sneak in the training room to goof around. 

Then came her. 

_ The three of them were First Class now, enjoying the same status and respect as Sephiroth once held alone.  _

_ A new recruit was supposed to come today. No name was mentioned, just that it was a female. Through the sliding doors came the one they expected. A girl with a fresh face and wide-eyed, just like any new-blooded recruit. Angeal was to be her mentor, a special privilege granted to her for her fast transition from Third to Second- and also because Hojo insisted that she was to be a First soon. He claimed her magic could easily place her there.  _

_ “What’s your name?” Angeal asked and she simply handed her the transcript, a cold look in her eye as he flipped through her numbers. “Huh. Impressive.”  _

_ Genesis peaked over his shoulder to look at the papers and raised a brow. “You’re adept at magic, hm? Care to test it out?” _

_ “Genesis..” _

_ “What? Nothing wrong with a little friendly competition,” Genesis stood up, approaching her. “Where are you from? It doesn’t say on there.” _

_ She remained quiet, almost hesitant to even speak. “...I’m from Midgar, I grew up here.” The three of them gave her a weird look. It sounded rehearsed and that tiny accented lilt on her tongue most definitely didn’t come from Midgar. _

_ Genesis shrugged, turning behind him, “Well, I suppose you should meet all of us if you want to be a First, but-” he sneered at her, “-don’t expect us to be friends.” With that, he looked to Sephiroth, “Isn’t that right?” _

_ Sephiroth looked up at her with uninterest. It was just a girl in his eyes. No one special. No one he expected to care about. _

The memories from those days would be forever ingrained in him. Of how he had met the people who would become his first friends. In the darkness, he saw a shadow in the corner of his eye and he expected to encounter a ghost as this trainyard was reported to be incredibly haunted, according to Marlene. Ghosts didn’t scare him, not in the slightest, it was more sensible to be frightened of those who lived and not the ones who’ve already died. 

A loud sniff caught his attention and he followed the sound, walking over with quiet footsteps. The sniffs got louder and it was joined in by muted sobs and pitiful whimpers. Sephiroth stopped when he saw the origin of the noise. 

Inside one of the old trains was Lady. She sat in one of the compartments, her face buried in her hands and knees tucked into her chest. The lantern above her seat flickered on and off, casting a shadow beside her that constantly disappeared and reappeared, leaving her with company one second and gone the next. 

He came closer. Only when he was a foot away from her did she look up with a gasp and fury in her glowing eyes. It softened when she realized it was him. “S-Seph-” she tried saying his name but was interrupted by hiccups. She gave up, shaking her head and returning her face to her hands. “L-lea-ve. Go aw-ay!”

Ignoring her pleas, he sat down beside her in the train and wrapped an arm around her shoulder and despite her telling him to leave prior, she buried her face in her chest and cried louder. Shoulders shuddering as whimpers ripped through her throat, voice cracking as words tried to rise from her but were broken upon impact just before they could pass her lips- all he could do was squeeze her tighter every time she tried to force herself to stop crying. 

It was a painful sound. 

Through her gasps for air and quivering mouth, he could only make out one sentence through her sobs.

“I never wanted any of this.” 


	31. XXXI

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that Ghost of Tsushima is platinumed, we can return to our regularly scheduled program.

“..So, to summarize. There’s been some disappearances of Midgar’s citizens, we suspect it might be because of Deepground. We also think it may be related to the sudden reduction in daemon and monster numbers. For some reason, the mako output from the reactors has increased though we had no part in doing that- Lady? Lady??”

Aerith elbowed her gently, and her head snapped up suddenly. “Huh? Y-yeah I’m paying attention.”

Reeve put his hand on his hip and his mouth formed a lopsided line. “Then could you repeat what I said?”

“You said monsters and daemons have been disappearing and humans have increased while mako’s been reduced?.. Wait, no.”

“Are you alright? You don’t seem to be all-” he pointed to his head, “-there. Did something happen?”

All eyes turned to her and she felt targeted like a student who’s been caught sleeping in class. “Yeah, I- no. Nothing happened. Sorry Reeve, please continue.” Reeve did so and Lady returned her eyes to the mug in her hand. Raising it to her lips, she took a sip and was shocked to find that her beverage went cold. She thought it was warm. One glance to the clock answered her question: an hour had passed since Tifa handed her this cup. 

Seventh Heaven looked more like a war room with each passing day. With posters plastered to the wall, plans laid out on the tables, markers pointing to maps that detailed Midgar in a 1/10000 scale. Tifa didn’t say it out loud, but everyone knew she was a bit sad about it. Money-wise she was fine, as they occasionally received an ‘anonymous’ donation from a mysterious benefactor. That really meant that Reno would stop in with a wad of cash every now and again. But despite the fact that the money was more than she made in years, Tifa missed serving people and seeing the smiles on their faces when they ate her food. 

Lady placed a hand on the barkeep’s shoulder, squeezing it to show that this would all be over soon. They just had to get rid of the imminent threat first, then things can go back to normal and customers could flood this bar again. 

No matter how hard she tried to listen to Reeve’s briefing, it all came in one ear and out the other. There was too much chaos in her head. Slipping to the back unnoticed, she stared at the maps he brought from Shinra while he continued talking to the others in Seventh Heaven. Downing the rest of the tea so as to not let it go to waste, she noticed someone else took a seat beside her in the back corner. Sephiroth placed a hand on her arm and began tapping rhythmically. _Morse code_ , she realized and waited to intercept his message.

_Dash, dot, dash, dash, dash, dot, dot, dash, break/ dash, dash, dash, dash, dot, dot, dash._

It translated to: _“You okay?”_

He slid his hand off of her and she placed hers on top of his this time. 

_Dash, dot, dash, dash, dot, dot, dash, dot, dot, dot, dot._

_“Yeah,”_ she responded and he placed her hand on top of hers again. It was their way of having a silent conversation so as to not disturb the others. He only did this because he was the one who found her crying last night. She begged him not to tell anyone else as she needed time to properly digest what happened before she felt good about telling her friends the truth. 

Their silent conversation continued.

_“They’re worried.”_

_“I know. Not now.”_

_“I’m here for you.”_

_“I know.”_

_“..I love you.”_

Lady’s finger stopped and twitched mid-air. Would he still love her even after she told him what she was? What she really was? She was scared. So scared. Jenova was one thing, this.. _This_ was another. Instead of responding, she simply wrapped her fingers around his and squeezed tightly. Though this didn’t stop him from tapping her hand still. 

_“That’s not an answer,”_ he said. 

She imagined her mother. How she didn’t age despite thirty years going past. When her father fell in love with Onna, he must have known what she was and despite that they had her. But even if their family was happy at the time, the fact that her mother had to outlive them surely must’ve weighed on her heart. While her father aged, grew old, and inevitably died- her mother would live on. It weighed on her heart now, too, when she thought about it. Everyone in this room- Aerith, Tifa, Cloud, Barret, Cid, Reeve, Vincent, Yuffie, Zack, Angeal, Genesis, Sephiroth.

..Would she outlive them all as well? 

She wanted to kick, punch, and curse the gods- especially one in particular. Instead, she gripped Sephiroth’s hand and brought it to her lips and left a kiss there. It would have to do for now. 

*******

“Alright, this should get you guys settled!” Jessie tossed a rectangular package in the air before catching it again. “If you guys get into trouble at the reactor, use this! It’s one of my specialties. Jessie à la mode!” 

Vincent caught it on the next throw and inspected it, even bringing it to his nose to smell. “It reeks of mako. It almost smells like you,” he said to Lady. 

She made a face. “Gross.”

Yuffie bent her torso over, smelling the package and scrunching up her nose. “Phe-yewww! It’s strong!”

“Get used to it,” he ignored the way she coughed to the side. “Let’s go.”

“Where’re you guys going?” Lady inquired. 

“Off to investigate reactor number seven,” he paused. “Weren’t you listening earlier?”

“Obviously not,” her lips formed an irritated scowl, then she eyed Yuffie. “If you’re investigating reactors, shouldn’t you bring someone more, I dunno-” she used a finger to gesture to her and the other ex-SOLDIERs, “-more mako-resistant?” 

“Wh- I can handle a pool of mako!” Yuffie insisted. 

“Alright,” she shrugged. “Your funeral.”

Yuffie was bewildered, casting nervous looks between her and Vincent. “What the hell does that mean!?”

“Normal people like us get affected,” Jessie explained. “My dad once fell asleep near the reactor core once.. And-” she forced a smile. “Well, let’s just say he hasn’t woken up since.” That was the short and sweet version of it. She heard it first from Biggs and Wedge, how Jessie’s dad was so overworked at Shinra that he just collapsed in the reactor. By the time they found him, he was in a deep comatose state. Despite his half-dead status, Jessie believed that she could rescue her dad if she found a way to reunite his soul with his body and that his soul was merely lost in the lifestream. It was part of the reason why Jessie joined up with Avalanche in the first place. Jessie’s brown eyes wavered and made contact with hers. They talked about this before and she promised to see if she could bring back his soul if she searched the Lifestream. 

_‘One day’_ she told her. Right now, regrettably, she didn’t have the time to reunite another lost daughter with her father. 

“So you’re tellin’ me if I suck up enough fumes, I can go to sleep for a really, really, reallyyyy long time?!” 

“That’s the long and short of it.”

“Hey man, mako fumes ain’t a joke,” Zack shook his head. “I remember I got too close one time, waaay too close and it gave me the worst headache ever.”

Lady looked up at the ceiling, “I fell into a vat of mako once-”

“What?!”

“-And it sucked.” They gave her odd glances and she waved it away. “This isn’t the point I’m trying to make, what I’m trying to say is that one of us should go instead of risking one of you ‘uninitiated’ to go into a coma whereas I would just have a week-long stomach ache.” 

“Eh.. Guess you have a point,” Yuffie gulped, fiddling with her arm band. “So? Who’s it gonna be, Vince?”

Vincent’s eyes were already set upon her before she had a chance to protest. Raising a finger to point, he jerked his head to the door as she grimaced. “Lady, let’s go.”

*******

“So, there a reason why you wanted me to tag along? Or do you like pissing me off?”

Vincent didn’t even look her way which somehow angered her more. “You made a solid argument. You’re resistant to mako, and-” he stole a glance, “-if something happens to me, you can easily hold me back.” It wasn’t the thought of dying and being left behind in a giant reactor that was at the forefront of his worries, it was the thought of Chaos being released. Out of everyone in Midgar, she would have the best fighting chance and this clarity made her realize his decision was the most sound. 

_Oh well_. She might have some fun at his expense at least. “Can’t control him by yourself? What a shame. “Here I thought the great Vincent Valentine would have some merit to his skills.”

The closest thing to an irritated scowl moved his upper lip. “It’s not that easy nor simple.”

“You can’t make that argument against me,” she shot back. “Especially when I’ve been holding back Jenova with sheer will and not some magical glowing rock.” 

Silence. 

She smirked. The argument was hers. _Me, one, Vincent, zerooo!_

“The protomateria was a gift for me, from Doctor Lucrecia,” Vincent’s words were barely over a whisper, as if he were scared to say it aloud. The protomateria, it was the ‘magical glowing rock’ that kept any semblance of humanity inside Vincent. Without it, he would just be like any untamed beast out there and casually bringing doom to whoever he meets.

Faltering behind, she blinked, “Lucrecia? Sephiroth’s mother? The same one who implanted Chaos within you?” He fell silent again and she decided to try and carry the conversation. “You miss her, don’t you?” Little was known about their relationship, but she suspected they had romantic involvement at some point. Once, she joked that he was Sephiroth’s real father but the reaction was nothing to laugh at. A glare, a sulk, and a slam of the door on the way out was his response to her. 

Of course, she apologized right after. 

“She’s dead. There’s nothing to miss.” _Ah._ Cold and callous. _Per usual._

“You can miss her memory,” she nudged him. “She’s gone from the world, but not from your heart.” Vincent released air from his nose, his version of a laugh, and walked faster to force her to pick up the pace. 

“If we’re to try and pry into each other’s private memories, what about you? You were so absent-minded in the meeting earlier that I could’ve asked Yuffie to throw something at you and you wouldn’t even have noticed.”

“I really would have.”

“I sincerely doubt that.”

“The only time you’re sincere is when you’re being a dick.”

“Did something happen?”

When she didn’t respond, he uttered her real name and made her head snap up in surprise. When their eyes met, he repeated her real name again and she bit the inside of her lip to try and stop it from quivering. 

“A long time ago..you said that you haven’t aged in 30 years, right? Do you think you’ll be here long after they’re all gone?” 

“‘They’?” He stopped walking. “Why did you exclude yourself from that group? Do you not think you’ll pass along with them?”

“I..” It wasn’t any use. All the words she said were a stuttered jumble of a mess. It wasn’t till Vincent placed a hand on her shoulder did she get jostled from her daydream. 

“I’m not going to try and force the truth from you, I know better. But if it’s any consolation, I, too, will be facing that unknown of undeath,” he turned away from her, continuing on into the reactor. As the smell of mako got stronger with the mix of added chemical fumes and natural stench of the deep earth, she stopped again. 

“Was that you offering to spend eternity alone together?” 

“Hm?” Crimson eyes peered at her. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Then, the faintest of smiles appeared on his lips. 

“Pfft, as if I would want to spend eternity with such a gloomy guy like you.” 

“And not like I would want to spend it with a brat such as yourself.”

Despite their words, they smiled to themselves, his less obvious than hers, and linked arms. The smells wallowed into their noses and made worse by their enhanced senses. Soon, any natural light was blocked out and replaced with the dim and eerie green glow of mako. In the form it was currently, it was liquified and sloshed in the large metal container with the sound making her feel sick. He put a hand in front to stop her and she immediately turned her back to him, their bodies touching as they carefully surveyed their surroundings. 

“Do you hear that?” he whispered. 

“I smell it,” she scrunched up her nose. The mako was distorted with the aroma of something foul. Akin to the rot of flesh that was seared with liquid fire and kept from falling completely by treatment salves. A flash of red caught her eye and at first she assumed it was Vincent’s cape but this one carried a sadistic laugh that echoed in the reactor. 

“Vincent Valentine~ How kind of you to visit me again. Oh, but who is this wench you brought with you?” A woman’s voice flowed to her ears. It sounded odd, with the soft vowels sharpened into edges and the consonants made more pronounced. “Mmm, would this be our beloved sister?”

“Be careful,” Vincent whispered to her. “This is the one.” This was the woman who left him on death’s door last time. If she remembered the reports correctly, this one was named Rosso and she was dyed in the same color as Vincent’s eyes. 

Red hair, red clothes, red lipstick, it all looked ghastly on her skin that was pale as paper and was just as translucent; it was the visage that belonged to someone who never saw the sun. From an overhead beam, the red figure jumped down in front of them and stood straight up. Rosso’s lips curled into a smile that didn’t translate to her sharp eyes, adding to the disingenuous expression of hers. 

“Hmm, SOLDIER First Class..” Rosso rolled her name on her tongue with her red cape flowing behind her on her slim body. “Would you be as kind to come back with me? You see- Weiss would so very much like to meet you.” Her black body armor glinted with a hint of mako green and as she got closer only then did Lady notice how her red hair spiked up around her face with longer strands going behind her back like twin daggers. 

The metal grate below them shook like they were being bothered by an earthquake and it was soon revealed that the earthquake took the form of a large, hulking man. This one wasn’t hard to remember as no other member of Deepground’s Tsviets could match his huge frame. Standing at nearly ten feet tall, Azul towered over both of them with such ease that it was almost comical. His muscles bulged out of the skin-tight uniform and when his glowing, yellow eyes landed on his two targets, he smiled to reveal two canines sharpened into fangs while the rest of his smile looked like he could chew bone into dust. 

“Hmm-hmm,” he laughed, the sound echoing from his chest and shook the air around them. “I expected the one chosen for Jenova’s vessel to be a bit bigger. How puny. I bet I can twist her legs like string.” 

“Don’t be rude to our fellow sister, Azul. Weiss wants her unharmed,” a voice emerged from the darkness. Billowing shadows spilled onto the floor in front of them and she saw the shadows take the form of a lean and muscular young man. His jet black hair was sticking out in messy patches through the bandages that wrapped and covered the majority of his face, only leaving one magenta-colored eye out that peered at them with an unsettling glow. A straitjacket hooked over his black armor kept his arms strapped to his body and behind his back were a pair of mechanical wings that dripped with more bandages that clung to him poorly. “Do you wish to be called your name, or will one of your aliases suffice?”

“What do you want?” She bared her teeth, pressing her back closer to Vincent. As long as they stood like this, they wouldn’t be able to be caught off guard. Their hands touched and instead of pulling away, Vincent curled his fingers up to tap against her palm. 

“Your cooperation. Your mastery over the lifestream is something that can be of use to us. All we want is you to come with us and there’ll be no further issues. After all, you were designated to join us once weren’t you? By Professor Hojo himself. We seek peace, we seek the promised land,” the man in the straitjacket continued talking and she finally remembered his name. _Nero, Weiss’ right hand man as well as his younger brother._

“Over my dead body,” she smiled sweetly, still feeling Vincent tap away at her palm. 

“That is-” he sighed, the bandages restraining his mouth sucked in through his mouth then blown out as he exhaled. “Disappointing. We rather not deliver you half-dead, but if we must..”

“Weiss’ word is law,” Rosso licked her lips. “And we are the hands that deliver.”

“You three don’t get it,” she chuckled ruefully. “There _is no promised land!_ Hojo and the old president Shinra have been feeding you lies, don’t you see you’re just carrying on his will as his science experiments?!” At those last two words, their demeanor shifted into one on the defensive. Teeth bared, eyes aglow with rage- they hated being called a science experiment just as much as her. “..There’s something much larger at stake, come work with us.”

“What-?!” Vincent exclaimed. “Diplomacy won’t work here, are you insane?”

“Vincent and I are the same as you three. Shinra filled your head with lies and deprived your character with their cruelty- but we don’t have to fight! We don’t have to be enemies!” The other three Deepground members regarded her before Rosso erupted into laughter. 

“Do you hear the words coming out of this one?!” She cackled loudly. “The same? My darling, we are nothing like.”

“Forgive her,” Nero spoke with his magenta eye trained on Lady. “She is still regretting that she wasn’t the one chosen for the Jenova project instead of you.” 

Rosso’s lips curled. “She is nothing special. They call me ‘the Crimson’, do you know why that is?” Her ‘why’ was pronounced ‘vhy’ and Lady couldn’t pinpoint where her accent came from. Though she supposed there were more important things to worry about right now. 

“No, but I assume you’re about to tell me,” Lady muttered and Rosso’s grin widened. 

“Because I do so enjoy spilling the blood of my enemies.” As typical as that sounded, something about the way Rosso said that gave her chills. When she smiled as she talked about why it was her favorite color, that smile finally made it to her eyes in genuine joy. It was pleasure derived from harming others and when Azul laughed and Nero chuckled, her heart sank. Normally, people would have some type of shimmer in their eye to betray what emotion they felt- even Ardyn possessed one as a remnant of when he was but a simple man. That trait was absent in these three, only appearing when the promise of butchery was present. 

Their minds were just unable to comprehend basic human empathy. Their psyche was so corrupted and broken that surely no amount of niceties would get them to listen. They spent their lives bred and grown in a lab then made to fight to prove to Shinra that they were valuable. Violence and domination was the only life they knew, kindness was not part of their routine as it was never introduced to them, they only understood the language that was angry and bitter. 

If Lady and Vincent were stuck in the lab for just a bit longer, they would have ended up just the same and the thought horrified her. A part of her pitied them. 

“Weiss will be pleased when we bring him back your head-“

“Rosso.. That is not what we agreed.”

Rosso’s eyes shone in the darkness with a sharp glint. “Why. Why are _you_ so special?? It should’ve been _me._ ”

“You want Jenova’s power?” She just finished tapping her message back to Vincent. “Fine- _take it!_ ” A quick fire spell made the crimson woman jump back and she felt the metal catwalk shake as Azul bounded towards them. Turning to face him head on, they met with both their palms and fingers locking. Azul pushed back and she felt her haunches being bent backwards as he did his best to overpower her. Gritting her teeth, she felt a surge of power within her and her muscles suddenly felt solid as a rock and her body gained the firm constitution of a mountain. She heard Titan’s distant roar in her ears. His fingers soon bent backwards and even the giant of a man appeared shocked, his feet began sliding backwards as she shoved him back with all her might. When he was a good distance away, she released her fingers and delivered a solid kick to his chest that sent him flying backwards. 

Behind her, Vincent sped after Nero with his gun in hand. Their chase in the dark was illuminated by the shots of gunpowder that sparked in Vincent’s hand. A flash of red dove down on her and Lady met Rosso’s sword with her own just as the Deepground soldier appeared in full visibility. Azul leapt from where she left him and met with her other hand, blocking a punch with a closed fist. Intaking air, she pushed them both back and went after the one she viewed as the most troublesome. Usually she dispatched the fastest opponents first so she gave chase to Rosso. Red eyes followed her movements as she deftly dodged steel beams and thrusted her sword towards the other. Rosso easily blocked her and she expected a feint or perhaps a parry but nothing came. This perplexed her. 

Azul came to sandwich her between and she easily blocked their advances with sword and fist. Something wasn’t right. They kept pushing with only half of their power and they had their eyes trained on her face, not her feet nor her arms. Like they were assessing her, gauging her. It then dawned on her. 

“Vincent!!!” She yelled to get his attention and quickly swiped her thumb from her nose to her cheek and down in a slightly curved line towards her mouth. 

“You sure?” He jumped back from Nero’s attacks. 

“Dammit, just go!” He didn’t waste anymore time asking and fired a last shot before he ran in her direction then flew right past to get to the exit. 

Rosso licked her lips, none of her lipstick coming off with her tongue and looking more like a permanent stain. “Well well, Vincent has left you all alone with us~ What should we do about that?”

“Actually..” She waited until Nero got closer. “He left you here alone with _me_.” 

Inside of her head she heard Shiva’s voice. _“Please, my lady. You’re much too weak to summon our powers.”_ But the Astral’s words fell on deaf ears as Nero stepped closer and she willed the liquid mako to rise up in a sphere to trap them inside. Leviathan’s cry echoed from the depths of the reactor as the three Deepground members were forced deeper into her sphere. When they were all so close, the mako creaked loudly as it solidified into a block of ice; taking Jessie’s bomb from the pouch on her thigh, she lunged forward and stuffed it into Nero’s chest, trapping it there with an additional layer of Astral ice. 

“So, you’ve made pacts with the holy Six?” Nero chuckled, watching the counter start off on the bomb. “Interesting.” Lady didn’t waste time reflecting on how he didn’t seem the least bit bothered to have a bomb with enough firepower to wipe out a reactor’s engine room strapped to his chest and focused on sliding out of her cage of ice before they could follow. Before she escaped, she heard Nero relay orders. “There’s been a change of plans, Shelke. She has the Astrals under her control.” 

A muted thud signaled the success of her bomb and she quickly made her escape out of the reactor. Outside, she groaned when Vincent wasn’t that far ahead. Catching up to him, she tapped on his shoulder. “The hell? I thought you would run back to the bar, not walk.”

He glared at her. “We’d be leading them back to the others, best we take a detour.” Motioning for her to follow, they dipped into a narrow alley that stretched into a dead end with a manhole. “In here.”

“Sewers? You must be joking. What is this- an RPG?”

“Get in and stop complaining.” They both climbed in and on the fifth rung of the ladder did the sour stench of the sewer hit her nose and she gagged. “This leads to the train graveyard, we can hide there for a while then head back. We’re their main target so I say we wait a bit.” 

“You think they could survive a bomb blast?”

“You and I survived death many times over.

“Fair point.”

Taking care not to step into the foaming grey sludge in the middle canal, she followed Vincent through. “They were watching me,” she spoke as they walked. “Like they wanted to see me perform.” 

“Makes sense. They did the same with me. Nero even said he was impressed I survived with that giant hole they left in my chest.” 

“They don’t seem right in the head.. I almost feel kinda sorry for them. Don’t you?” She asked as fresh air wafted from a northern direction. 

Vincent pulled on the ladder leading out to the surface before responding to her with a cold stare. “No. I don’t.” Ascending the ladder, he helped her out and closed the manhole shut. The coldness of the train graveyard hit her and she shivered a bit, seeing what little natural light they had become dull in color. “Wait.” 

Scuttling footsteps approached them at a rather fast pace and she felt Vincent tug her in between the space of two large freight containers. Their bodies were trapped against each other, so close that she could feel his chest rise and fall against hers. Glancing to the side, she held her breath as she heard the footsteps get closer. Standing at about three feet off the ground were tiny monsters that scampered by their hiding spot in search of their next meal, this earned a tiny chuckle from her. “We were hiding from rats, nice. Wouldn’t that be a story, huh Vince-“

Turning her head back to him, her breath caught in her throat. She knew their bodies were close but didn’t realize it had been _this_ close. As they were chest to chest, she also saw how their noses were mere millimeters away from each other. If she looked into his eyes, she could swear she saw obsidian flecks dot his crimson irises, making a gradient of blood red to the deepest darkness she could imagine. 

“We should get out of here,” she whispered, noting how the bow of her lips brushed against his whenever she enunciated words. 

“We should,” he agreed, his eyes falling on her lips. One of his hands were close to her waist and the other was splayed on the surface beside her head, touching a bit of her hair. 

“You keep staring,” she breathed. 

“Why shouldn’t I? You said we had eternity together.”

Moving her hand up to cradle his cheek, she lightly pinched it. “Let’s get through today first.” Sliding out first, she felt cold where his fingers slipped off and waited for him to shimmy out the tight space behind her. “Something still doesn’t sit right with me. You got ambushed at a reactor before too, right? What if they’re there looking for something?” 

Vincent’s brow furrowed. “I doubt that. If they wanted to find something we would’ve heard about the missing item from Reeve. What if they’re protecting it instead?”

“Protecting the reactors? For what- the mako? But they already dug their way into Shinra HQ, it doesn’t make sense that they’re protecting the reactors to hoard energy when all of them inevitably lead back to the Shinra building.” 

“All we know for sure is that the reactors are important. Besides the obvious implication that whoever controls the reactors controls the city. But why would they want it? I need to tell Reeve the update.” Vincent whipped out his phone, thumbing it with the gracefulness of an old man trying to figure out how technology works. It was endearing in a way, seeing how he was still out of touch with touch screen cell phones. Apparently it took a while to convince him to drop his old feature phone for a more modern one, according to Cloud.

Lady crossed her arms, biting her thumb as she ruminated. The reactors were important, but- why? _Think!_ Closing her eyes, she thought of Nero's words. They needed her for her ‘mastery of the lifestream’, no doubt they wanted to use her to channel energy. Energy to where? To Midgar? The map of the city was displayed in her mind in perfect clarity. Eight reactors, all leading to Shinra.. It was then that she remembered that rumor whilst under Hojo’s care. That they were building something large beneath Shinra. Besides the Deepground lab, they were catering to something immense that slumbered beneath this metal city. 

Seeing as how Vincent was still busy texting Reeve, she kneeled on the floor and hovered her hand above the dirt. Slowing her breathing, she focused on the feel of the mako beneath her fingertips; and like hanging onto a string, she felt her ethereal self being pulled along on a track. One led to the other, growing wider and wider until she could see the bright lights of mako twinkling in an endless indigo sea. These lights were the souls of people lost in the lifestream, and she made a mental note to try and round them up later. The path she traversed opened up to a massive web of tunnels and winding routes, some brighter than others whilst others were teetering on the edge of disappearing. Following the paths to the central part of the web, she found herself standing in the midst of Midgar in front of Shinra HQ. 

Her body was translucent as the souls that brushed past her and when one of them noticed her, their face contorted into fear and hung onto her. _“Please,”_ the faceless soul cried. _“He’s going to devour all of us!”_

“Who is?” She held onto his arm. “Tell me what’s going on!” 

_“H-he is..”_ he pointed a trembling finger towards the Shinra building. _“They called him.. Omega..”_ A shrill chorus of screams crowded the air and she flinched, reaching to block her ears as the screams got more desperate. _“No.. He’s got me.. Help me please!?”_ The spirit hung onto her and she tried to pull him back, but it was like grabbing at air and she could only stand as she watched him being dragged into the bright light. Whatever shapes were imitated to look like Midgar soon vanished and she was left with the intense light of the Shinra building as well as eight other lights around her. The eight were positioned in the same spots as the reactors and she watched the mako ebb and flow into them, leaving none behind as they were sucked up to be used into energy. 

**“Jenova..you’re finally awake.”** A booming voice made her head turn back to the building and she swayed as the area around her began to shake. The building pulled itself out from the ground as the last of the souls were sucked in and added to its glow. Bright, green wings sprouted from the sides and she saw the building change shape into something that resembled a ginormous body that touched the sky with ease. With the two buildings perched on its shoulders, streams of mako jutted out from them and snatched her off the ground to bring it closer to its head. **“I’ve waited so long. Join me. Together, you, Chaos, and I shall rule the cosmos.”**

“So, this is where you’ve been hiding, Omega. Right beneath our noses.” Smiling up at the titan, she braced herself. “Good to know.” Holding her breath as if she were about to plunge into the sea, she forced herself out of his grip and felt her being dragged across the lifestream, back to her corporeal shell. As she returned to her body, she looked up to see a concerned Vincent shaking her awake. Something gritty was itching her forehead and she reached up to wipe at it, seeing the brown gravel on her fingers. 

“You face planted on the ground,” he explained. “I thought you were meditating. What happened?” 

“I know what they’re using the reactors for,” she mumbled, using his arms to pull herself up. “We need to get the hell out of Midgar!”

*******

Against their better judgement, Vincent and Lady split up in order to cover more ground. He went to warn the others, while the ex-SOLDIERs accompanied her to the very building they first met in. She had to warn the people in it after all. 

“How do you propose we get inside?”

“Wait till nightfall?”

“Or walk through the front door.”

Genesis and Angeal looked at Sephiroth, dumbfounded at his suggestion. In a reply, the silverette glanced at them with an innocent expression. “That’s what she’s doing.” 

“For the love of the Six, she doesn’t know how to be subtle, does she? C’mon,” Angeal and the rest jogged up to meet up with her as she crossed the road towards the Shinra building.

“Ma’am, you can’t just walk in here!” 

Lady’s eyes, aglow with searing mako silenced the Third Class as they instantly averted their eyes and when he saw the other three behind her, he gave them a wide berth. Marching straight into the Shinra building, she stopped by the front desk, snatching the receptionist’s phone from her hand and slamming it back down into the receiver. The receptionist who was annoyed at first went meek when she saw the four in front of her. “I think it’s time for you to clock out, isn’t it?” she suggested firmly and the receptionist nodded. 

“They don’t pay me enough to get hurt,” she mumbled and excused herself out of the booth.

Reaching over, Lady dialed the announcer button on the phone and brought it to her mouth. “Attention all Shinra employees, your shift has ended early and your swift exit is required. I repeat, all Shinra employees- get out of this building _now_.” Setting the phone down, she got irked when no one seemed to take her warning seriously and strode over to a guard, grabbed his rifle, and began shooting at the glass chandelier hanging above with expert precision. “I said-” she climbed up on one of the display cars, “-if you value your lives, get the fuck out of this building!!” 

Panic ensued and all the employees, even the guards, scrambled to get out when they saw the ex-Firsts that they all assumed were retired sow chaos into the first floor. Unfortunately, the building was so damned tall that even if you had a live concert here, no one on the upper floors would even be able to hear it. So they needed to clear the floors themselves. 

“Elevator? Or stairs?” Angeal pointed to the hall in front of them and then to the hallway to the side leading to the emergency escape. 

“You’re joking,” Genesis made a face. “It’s seventy floors high. We’ll be worn out by the time we reach the top.”

“Elevator it is,” Sephiroth pressed the knuckle of his finger to press the button going up and they all filed in as it opened. She stood at the front, feeling the elevator carry them upwards. Crossing her arms, she tapped her foot against the floor and looked up when the elevator stopped and the doors opened. She grimaced, summoning her sword and got ready to strike as the doors slid open to reveal a rather frightened looking intern. 

“A-ah! I’m sorry! I’ll just take the next one!” he stuttered, bowing his head low. “Wait. Weren’t you three-? And aren’t you supposed to be dead?” 

Reaching over, she wrapped the intern’s lanyard around her fist and snapped it off his neck with minimum injury. “My advice? Quit while you’re ahead,” she whispered to him and stepped back into the elevator. “You should leave Midgar,” she said as the elevator doors closed on him. 

Behind her, Angeal shifted on his feet. “Are you sure about this? It doesn’t feel right just barging in here and forcing everyone out.”

“You didn’t see what I saw,” she mumbled without looking back at him. “This whole building will transform into Omega, these people are in the belly of the beast just waiting to be digested.”

“Even if you did get everyone to move out of Midgar, where would they go?” Genesis said loudly. “This might be the only home they ever had.” 

“They could rebuild elsewhere,” Sephiroth argued. “Midgar doesn’t have to be the only home they could have. It’s not as if this city catered equally to its citizens. Half only get to live in luxury, while the other half sit and rot in the fumes.” 

“It’s better than dying to be used just as an energy source,” Angeal added. “But still.. This doesn’t sit right with me.”

“I know what we’re doing is bad, but can you guys just trust me on this?” 

His frown softened when he saw the pleading in her eyes. “Of course we do.”

The elevator doors opened and she looked to the front to see a shock of red hair step in. “Whaddaya think you’re doing?! You got the whole building shaken up after that thing you pulled downstairs!” Reno closed the doors behind them and grumbled to himself as he pressed a few keys. “What happened to keeping everything on the down low?! Everyone saw you on the cameras!”

“Plan’s changed,” she stuck her chin up. “How many airships do you guys have? Like the ones we used during the war?”

“Those old things?” Genesis raised a brow. “Even if they still had those, they’re so ancient they wouldn’t be able to move a platoon.”

“We still have them around, I think. Why? Need them for something?” 

“Do you think you can help evacuate everyone in the city?” She stepped forward. 

“Wh-” Reno scratched his head. “You’re asking a lot, ya know? We can’t just use decommissioned military vehicles for citizens. What’s your reason anyways?”

“We need everyone to get out of Midgar ASAP. It’s really important that we hurry, because I fear something really bad will happen if we don’t.”

The Turk rolled his tongue over his teeth and glanced to the other three behind her and saw they were just as serious. He let out a frustrated sigh, “It’s not that I don’t believe you, it’s just not me who you have to convince. You know who you have to talk to, right?”

“Yeah.. I do.”

Reno waited with them until they got to the floor which was designated as the executive’s area and stepped to the side to let them off the elevator. What was waiting for them was something not even the Turk expected and he knitted his brows together when he saw the giant metal wall blocking them off further entry into the executive suite. “Huh, guess they did see the trouble was coming and fired up the emergency services. Gimme a second to call up Tseng..”

“No need,” she walked over to the solid barrier and brought her fist up as she grounded her stance. Connecting her fist directly into the seam, she cracked it open with a booming _thud_. When the seams started coming apart, she grabbed the edges and ripped it apart until it came off the hinges. 

“Holy shit,” Reno slowly lowered his phone, turning to the other three. “She wasn’t always this strong, was she?”

“You tell me, you’re the one who married her,” Genesis deadpanned. 

“You’re not seriously still holding that against me, are you?” Reno frowned. “It was an accident.”

Another guard stopped them and pointed his rifle at her, “Don’t move! I’m authorized to shoot!” 

Grabbing the end of the barrel, she bent the thing backwards until it formed an ‘L’ and tossed it across the floor. “Where’s Rufus?!” Her lips curled over her teeth, “Tell me where your fucking boss is! Or that gun isn’t the only thing I’ll be snapping in half!”

“Th-they’re all meeting in the boardroom! Just please don’t hurt me!”

Brushing past him, she went over to the boardroom and tried prying the door open. Her frustration amplified when it was locked so she took a step back, raised her leg, and kicked it open. She was soon met with the baffled looks of all the division heads; the only one who wasn’t nearly as surprised was Reeve, director of Urban Development. 

“What’s the meaning of this?” A rounded man with a thunderous voice exclaimed. His green military coat was tight over his shoulders and his thick, black beard only added to his age. He was Heidegger, director of Public Safety which honestly was just a rhetorical title. He didn’t care about the public’s safety, he only wanted to make sure no one messed with the order of things here. 

“Eep!” A pudgy man that looked more frog-like than human tried to dive under the table, but his own bloated body prevented him from doing so. Palmer, director of their so-called ‘Space Program’. Though Midgar has not seen any type of space-related object being tossed into space so it was already a widely-known fact that he was incompetent beyond measure, not to mention cowardly too. 

“Hm, so you managed to break through our defensive systems with ease, how surprising,” a woman with light blonde hair smiled. Her lips were a glossy red, matching with the rest of her outfit. A red dress that had a plunging neckline as well as a scandalous slit on the side to reveal her leg looked her in the eye and smirked. Scarlet, director of Weapons Development. 

The only other director currently missing was Hojo who was in charge of the science division, but for reasons pertaining to the fact that he was deceased- he wasn’t able to make it. Everyone else she knew on a more personal level; Lazard, director of SOLDIER sat beside Rufus, who happened to be his half-brother. Lazard looked a lot like Rufus if she squinted and he took off his glasses and cut his hair shorter. Though she assumed he wanted this distinction on purpose. Of course, the one she was looking for was right there at the head of the table, with his faithful hound by his side along Tseng and Rude. 

Rufus seemed to be stunned at the fact that the person he thought dead for years just barged into his meeting and stood at the opposite end of the table with a very, very pissed off face. Opening his mouth to speak, she raised a hand to interrupt him. 

“Yes, I’m alive. No, I won’t explain how that came to be and yes, I require your full uninterrupted attention.” Leaning over and gripping the table with her hands flat on the surface, she stared him down. “You need to pack it up and leave Midgar.”

Rufus exerted a forceful stream of air through his nose. “On the basis of?” 

“On the basis that your company has been infiltrated by an insurgent group. I don’t know if your father ever told you about them, but it’s kinda his fault they exist and now they want to take over Midgar.” 

“If we leave Midgar then who would be around to defend it,” Heidegger scoffed. “President Shinra, this woman’s clearly making up lies to try and get us to leave so her and her friends could take over!” 

Scarlet traced the bottom of her lip with a finger. “What does this Deepground even want, anyways?” 

“They wanted the promised land,” she said with some hesitancy. “To power up Omega, which, you happen to be sitting in as we speak.” The more she spoke, the more they looked at her with incredulity. She couldn’t blame them entirely, her entire argument sounded absolutely batshit insane. 

“You’re saying..this entire building is ‘Omega’?” Rufus repeated slowly. 

“Yes, that is exactly what I’m saying!” 

“This promised land they seek,” Scarlet licked her lips. “Maybe we should help them find out just exactly where it is.” Her blue eyes turned to the president’s chair. “Your father wanted to find it too, so desperately in fact that he used her-” she pointed at Lady, “-to try and be a catalyst to realize our goals. Sadly, his death and her disappearance made us put an end to those plans.” 

Genesis stepped forward with his face deep set into a sneer, ready to hash words until she pulled him back and shook her head. 

“I can’t believe you still don’t realize..” She rubbed her closed eyes until she saw stars then slammed her hand back down into the table, breaking the solid metal under her weight. “ _There is no promised land!!!!_ ” 

“That, right there,” she rounded the table until she reached the large windows that viewed Midgar. Pointing in the direction of a reactor which spewed out mako endlessly in a column of green light, she made sure they were all looking at it before continuing. “ _That’s_ the promised land you were looking so hard for! The mako you’ve been pumping from the ground then burning? That’s what it is! That’s what it _always_ was! You’ve wasted your lives and caused irreparable damage to legions of people just to look for something that’s right under your noses!” 

“So why warn us- the very people that created you?” Rufus asked her in a low tone. 

“Because, as much as I hate to admit it, I need you for your money and influence to try and save these people. Because that’s the least you all could do to make up for your sins.”

“Well, that’s assuming if we cared about our sins in the first place, dear girl,” Palmer hid his giggle behind his hand. “Why should we help you?” 

“You have some nerve for tearing apart the building to ask for help from us!” Heidegger stood up. 

“Sit back down.” She hissed as he saw her attempt to approach her. 

“Director Heidegger,” Tseng started towards him. “Please, that isn’t a good idea to do that.”

“Like hell, why should we listen to her? A glorified science experiment-”

Raising her hand, she watched him freeze up as her eyes began to glow a sickly purple and the roots of her hair turned silvery in hue. “I said.. **Sit. Down!”**

Shards of metal rose from the ground, their tips still wet with mako as they caged in Heidegger. Their sharp edges narrowly missed the tips of his face as he found himself immobilized and completely at her mercy should she choose to present it. “Let me make myself clear. Work with us, atone for your crimes and live. Choose not to, and we’ll have no choice but to hand you over to whatever fate awaits you.” 

“President Shinra,” Reeve stood up. “I’m asking you to consider- no, begging you to work with her. This is the best chance we have to ensure everyone’s safety!” 

“Reeve- you traitor! I should’ve known!” Heidegger growled then gulped when one of the tips gently caressed his neck. 

“Even so.. There’s no evidence to back up your claim,” Rufus responded coolly. 

“Do you really want that?” Sephiroth spoke and all eyes went to him. “After all, the evidence we’ve gathered would only serve to embarrass your company as a whole. No one wants to know that their masters were incompetent in any way.. At least, incompetent enough to allow an insurgence to take place while they themselves were present.” 

“I say we go with them boss,” Reno stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Wouldn’t wanna be caught on the bad side of this one, believe me.”

“Reno, you too?” Rufus seemed genuinely surprised. 

“Yeah. The way I see it? Maybe this is our chance to make up for all the bad shit we’ve done,” he looked to Lady and gave her a tiny wink of support. 

Tossing him a grateful nod, she suddenly felt her phone vibrate violently and she fished for the device. Tifa’s name was displayed and she swiped to answer then held it up to her ear. An action she would immediately regret as loud noises made her flinch as the receiver crackled with feedback. 

_“Lady, it’s bad--- Vincent, he’s---! Come back, you’ve got to help---!”_

“Tifa?” She frowned. “I can’t hear you, what are you saying? What about Vincent?” 

_“He’s---- They attacked him and-----”_

She panicked when the line went silent for a while. “Tifa? Tifa!!” 

_“They’re going to collapse the---!!!”_

There was no response as the line suddenly went dead and she was left staring at the time that elapsed on her phone. The conversation didn’t even last two minutes. 

“What happened?” Tseng asked her. 

“I don’t know-” Lady lurched forward as did the rest of them as the foundations below their feet began to shake. “The hell?” Turning her attention to the window, her eyes widened in mortification as the upper plate of Sector 7 began to cave in and collapse onto the lower plate.


	32. XXXII

“Marlene!!” Aerith screamed, rushing towards the little girl as debris began falling down around her. The weak foundations of Sector 7’s slums were already crumbling in and she had to jump to narrowly avoid the potholes that formed. Marlene could do nothing else but duck her head with her eyes wound tightly shut, a whimper escaped her as she was scared to outright cry for help in case the sound she made prompted more of the buildings to fall in her direction. She clutched a storybook close to her chest, the only one she managed to save just before her bookshelf was destroyed. 

“Aerith! I got it!” Tifa rushed past the florist, jumping over fallen walls with graceful dexterity and picked up Marlene in her arms. “You’re safe,” she cooed to the girl and cradled her. “Hang on, alright?” Marlene’s arms grappled around Tifa’s neck as she made it back to where Aerith was. 

“That was close..” Aerith breathed a sigh of relief that was quickly interrupted. They nearly avoided being crushed within Seventh Heaven as the wooden roof began to splinter and break. The three of them looked on and grieved as the last of the bar’s foundations finally gave out and collapsed into itself. Aerith wrapped an arm around Tifa’s shoulder and saw how her eyes nearly watered at the sight. “It’s okay.. We can always build another one, right? 

“Y-yeah,” Tifa tried to smile but the look on her face wasn’t one of genuine hope. Before the misty haze in her eyes turned to tears, they heard their voices being called. 

“Tifa! Aerith!” Cloud ran over them. “You guys okay?”

“Yeah, we’re fine,” Tifa nodded. “But.. the bar.”

“I know,” he said, grabbing her by the shoulders. “But right now we need to get out of here!” 

“Wait! Where’re the others?” Aerith asked.

“Barret, Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge went to try and save the pillar,” Tifa explained frantically. “Cid, Yuffie, Red, and Zack are trying to calm down Vincent. C’mon, we’ll meet up with them later!” The four of them ran towards the road connecting Sector 7 to Sector 6 and were surprised to meet with a large crowd of the slum’s residents.

“Hey, let us through!”

“The plate’s fallin’, goddammit! Let us through!”

“We’re all going to die!! Please!!!”

“H-hold on!” A Shinra gunman fidgeted then glanced back at his superior to see what it is they should do, but the superior only shook his head. The superior then aimed his rifle overhead and fired a few warning shots that was muted by the crashes above them. 

“Don’t move!” he barked. “We will screen you one at a time and allow you entry when we see to it that you weren’t the ones who caused this!” More protests broke out as the crowd began pushing forward despite the gun being waved in their faces.

“That’s insane!”

“Damn you, Shinra dogs!”

“You don’t care about us!”

“Mow them down, they won’t stop us then!” 

Their cries of frustration were drowned out as the remaining bit of the sector’s pillar began to groan loudly to signal everybody that it was finally giving out. Tifa, Marlene, Aerith, and Cloud could only watch as it started to lurch forward. Caught in their current predicament, dread filled their stomachs as they saw that the other pillars and not just theirs, were being destroyed as well. They could hear collective screams in the distance, sounds of pipes exploding and leaking mako into the air, and the upper plate wobbling as its support was being decimated. Tifa was sure that all of them realized that the whole upper half of Midgar was going to be dropped right on top of them and there was nothing they could do about it. 

All eight sectors released a cacophony of frightened screams that day. 

“Marlene..don’t look,” Tifa whispered, holding her head close to her neck as she too closed her eyes. They couldn’t run anymore, they couldn’t hide. Their bodies would be crushed by a couple hundred tons of steel and beams. Cloud let out a frustrated growl then turned to the girls and revealed his downcasted eyes. 

“Sorry,” he muttered, loud enough for them to hear. “Some bodyguard I am.”

Aerith smiled, sympathy shining in her eyes as she drew in her friends in a group hug. _ Is this really gonna be it? _ She thought to herself and uttered a soundless prayer as debris began to crowd around them. She regretted not staying for breakfast with her mom that day, she only hoped that her death would be painless. 

Moments passed as the four of them had their eyes closed and waited for death. More moments passed and it wasn’t until someone from the crowd released a surprised gasp followed by a fearsome roar did they then snap out of their own thoughts of doom. Tifa opened her eyes first, glancing up and saw a looming shadow that blocked out the sun. A behemoth figure filled their skyline and with arms the size of mountains- it supported the upper plate and prevented it from falling. And it wasn’t just their sector that they carried, it was also carrying Sector 6. 

“By the Six.. It’s the Archaean!”

“What’s an Astral doing here in Midgar?!”

Titan’s glowering gaze looked over the people of Midgar, his body easily lifting up the plate back to its original height. 

Aerith squinted when she saw something white float down from above and landed on her forehead, making her jump at how cold it felt. “Is this snow?” she wiped the substance off her skin and inspected it. “Why is it snowing??” 

The empty lot they were standing in was now being overwhelmed with snowflakes. Filling in the brown dirt with pure white as the temperature dropped heavily. Tifa shivered, her breaths leaving her in misty puffs while her eyes searched the sky. In the midst of the light blizzard, she made out a shape of a woman and nudged Cloud and Aerith. “What is that?”

Marlene looked up just as a snowflake kissed her lashes. A smile appeared on her face as she recognized who the graceful figure was, dancing in the cold. “It’s Shiva!!” 

Amazed murmurs rippled as the Goddess of Ice flew overhead, her light purple eyes briefly met Marlene’s and blew a kiss before she darted towards Sector 5. Shortly after, giant columns of ice spurned upwards until it stopped Sector 5 and Sector 4 from falling any more. On the other side of Midgar, dark clouds rolled in from the distant horizon just as every water fixture in Sector 3 and 2 broke and spouted until it flooded the streets and poured to the slums below. From the depths of the faux pool rose a beaked head and a large scaly body that reflected the frightened faces of the people who stood there to witness the spectacle; thunder and lightning flashed as the clouds gathered to form a large figure with eyes crackling with electricity. Those who remained in Sectors 3 to 8 beheld the sight of two Astrals using their strength to hold up their homes. 

Titan, Shiva, Ramuh, and Leviathan all came to support the sectors and despite everyone believing they were there to answer their prayers, they only appeared to heed the call of the person who they’ve forged a covenant with...

Unfortunately, the wide net of her summon also caught the ears of two more Astrals from afar. 

*******

“Holy shit, four out of six? We’ve got some divine luck on our side!” Reno saw the head of Leviathan peek up as the goddess held up her portion of the plate with her body. Nearby, Ramuh let out a muffled growl as he held up Sector 1 and 8 with both arms. 

Lady’s vision went hazy and she clutched onto the Turk to steady herself. Fatigue set in and her legs felt ready to give out. Shaking it off, she turned to him, “We need to use the airships and get the hell out of here..”

Rufus, seeing the divine hold up his city, felt a sense of humility he hadn’t felt in a long, long while. He nodded to Tseng. “How much time do we have?” 

“I’ll give you as long as I have,” she said as a stream of blood left her nostril. Knitting her brows together, she wiped it with the side of her palm and saw the bright red leave a streak. “But I would appreciate it if you rushed just a little.” 

“Tseng, I need all the sectors evacuated immediately. All of you make sure your designated floors are clear,” Rufus stared at all his father’s appointed executives. “That’s an order.”

They didn’t have a choice. Either obey or be left here to die, and seeing as how none of them felt so inclined to be a martyr- they agreed. “Yes, President Shinra.” 

As the room emptied out, she slid out one of the chairs and sat in it. Crossing her arms on the table, she put her head down and used this moment of solace to catch her breath. A hand massaged her back. “Can you continue?”

Looking up through the haze, she obediently nodded out of instinct. “Just..” she inhaled deeply. “Just catching my breath. Give me a moment.” Sitting back up after a spell, she felt warmth permeate through her skin and saw a green glow. Genesis stood behind her, a healing spell coursing from his hand to hers. Slowly, she felt her stamina come back and sat straighter. “Thanks.”

Reno let out a low whistle, still completely in awe of the Astrals’ appearance. Like every kid growing up in Midgar, he’d only seen them in storybooks. He didn’t think he’d be so lucky enough to see one in person. “Seeing them all here- it’s kinda like a family reunion, huh?” 

She snorted, a little too loudly, at his comment and elicited odd looks. “I’m glad you’re amused, but can you get a move on? These sectors won’t clear themselves.”

“We need airships outside each exit from Sector 1 to Sector 8- yes,  _ all of them _ . No excuses. Tseng out,” the head Turk spoke into his earpiece and nodded to Reno and Rude. “You have your orders, Turks. I expect you to get the job done.”

Reno and Rude bumped the sides of their fists together and smiled, “‘course, boss. You’d expect anything less?” The Turks left the room, leaving the Firsts. 

Fatigue still weighed her down, though not as badly as before thanks to Genesis’ support. Pushing herself up, she wiped at the bottom of her nose to feel for more blood and was relieved to find there was none. “You guys should go help them out, then we’ll rendezvous afterwards.” 

“After we board the airships, where should we land?” Angeal asked. 

“I dunno,” she stood up completely, sitting on the table this time. “First things first, we get out of this city. And then.. Well, we figure things out from there.”  _ One thing at a time. _

“Will you be alright?” Sephiroth saw how her shoulders sagged ever so slightly. 

“It’s not exactly easy summoning four at a time,” she muttered. “But desperate times, right? Let’s go. The more time we waste here, the more my energy’s being squandered. You three go on ahead, I need to check on what’s going on with Vincent.” They had no argument against that and decided to go on ahead to help the Turks get people into the airships while the Astrals still had their backs. Though one lingered and she looked up to see Genesis trap her against the table with arms holding her waist. He leaned in and stole a kiss, pressing his lips gently against hers as if she would break. When she didn’t crumble in his hands like he expected, he pressed harder and smiled when she stifled a quiet moan. 

Releasing her, he held her face. “You better come back to me alive,” he whispered. 

“And risk disappointing you?” She grinned. “Never.”

  
  


*******

Barret grunted as he lifted the heavy slab off of Wedge. “Hang on, you crazy fool! Almost got ya!” 

“No way we’re leaving a teammate behind- hnngh,” Biggs felt his muscles strain as he pushed himself past his limits to try and help his friend. At last it loosened and they both shoved the debris off Wedge with one last heave. Jessie rushed past them and held a potion to Wedge’s lips, trying to avoid looking at the ugly purple bruise that formed on his leg. 

“Drink up or else I’ll be mad I wasted a mega-potion on you,” Jessie whispered as the last of the glowing green contents emptied into Wedge’s mouth.

“Urghh..” Wedge shook his head. “Could go for some of your mom's famous pizza, Jess.”

“Damn you, almost had us worried there you big ol’ lummox!” Biggs slapped him on the back and made him spit out some of the potion which earned a scornful glare from Jessie. “Oops. My bad.”

“What do we do now?” Jessie asked them with a worried face. “The pillar’s totally done for.”

Barret pointed a finger at Titan. “As long as we got that big guy supporting us, we still got a fighting chance y’all!” A shadow flew overhead and the four of them looked up to see Lady float down and land beside them. “There you are! ‘bout damn time too!”

“Where’s Vincent?” she asked him. 

“They’re over by the old junkyard, he suddenly started goin’ crazy and we had to try and get him to calm down! Then some guys tried taking out the pillar so we had to split up to try and shake ‘em off.”

“Listen, there’s a city-wide evacuation,” she looked to Wedge. “Can you walk? 

“Yeah. I’m fine,” he pushed himself off the ground and tried to hide the look of pain on his face. “Where we headed?”

“Outside the city limits there should be some airships. We’ll meet there.” She looked up to see Titan’s intense, orange eyes glare directly at her. He nodded his large head and it told her everything she needed to know. “There’s not much time.” They followed her to the roads leading out of Midgar and saw Aerith, Tifa, Cloud, and Marlene. 

“Marlene!!” Barret had his arms wide open as she wiggled out of Tifa’s grip and towards him. 

“Daddy!” she jumped up and he lifted her onto his shoulders. “I saw Shiva!” 

“Lady!!” Tifa ran to her. “Vincent- he’s not doing well. I tried to tell you but they cut off the phone lines-”

A distant roar got their attention and Lady grimaced then turned back to Tifa. “I know. I’ll handle it.” From where they were standing, they had a perfect view to the abandoned warehouses just outside of the slums. The clashing of metal and shouts were heard from within and she could only guess who those shouts belonged to. 

“Cloud, get Barret, Tifa and Aerith to the exits.” Overhead, a squadron of helicopters with the Shinra logo emblazoned flew past them. In the pilot seat, she saw a familiar head of red hair. “Biggs, Jessie, are you okay with helping Wedge walk?”

“Yeah, but what about you?” Biggs asked as he hoisted one of Wedge’s arms over his shoulders. 

“I’m going to deal with Vincent.” 

A rumble made them all think another part of Midgar would come crashing down, but soon they realized it was just part of Titan’s speech.  _ “Careful where you tread, Child. Ours is the same power that flows within you. To lose oneself in the heat of battle is to corrupt your very soul until it ceases to exist.” _

Melodic chiming joined the conversation and she recognized the voice as Shiva's.  _ “We will last as long as your energy sustains. Please, my lady, hurry.” _

Sending off the others before she went off by herself, she shimmied between the broken iron chain fence to gain entry into the abandoned yard. With only a few steps in, she picked up on footsteps following her and turned around with sword in hand to meet her pursuer head on. 

“Wait.” Lady stopped and saw a woman with bright orange hair raising her hands up. Her blue-framed glasses seemed to be pretty useless as only one of her eyes opened to peer through them. The rest of her outfit left little to the imagination, with a tight dress that exposed her midriff, inner thighs, and most of her upper torso. A lab coat covered her shoulders and she didn’t even bother putting her arms through the sleeves, only leaving it on as a cape-like fixture. Through the white fabric, she saw her left arm poke out and she raised her eyebrows at what seemed like a robotic prosthetic where her lower arm should’ve been. 

“Who are you?” She asked the stranger. 

“I know you’re busy so I won’t bore you with the details,” she pushed up her glasses. “The name’s Shalua Rui, I'm a researcher and an associate of Reeve’s. You’re about to go handle Vincent, right? And you’re also probably wondering how Chaos managed to be released at such an inconvenient time.”

Lady lowered her sword, raising her brow. “Continue.”

“My sister’s the one to blame for that.”

“Your sister?” 

“Yes, obviously she looks a bit like me. She’s younger and was taken in by Shinra at a young age before getting transported to the Deepground program.” 

“What are you trying to get at? You don’t want me to accidentally kill her?”

Shalua smirked, “If you could, that’d be great. I understand she’s the enemy, but she’s still family.”

She let out a frustrated exhale. There was so much going on already, and now this? “Fine, whatever. Don’t fall behind.” Hurrying over to find Vincent with Shalua as a new party member, she held her breath when she heard a roar that grew louder with each step. Despite wearing heels, Shalua had no problem keeping up and through the strain she exerted on her muscles, Lady saw that this woman had the stamina of a soldier. 

“Reeve said you had a secret weapon to combat against Chaos?” Shalua asked, catching the way she was being observed. 

“Sure. Something like that.”

When they arrived, they saw Vincent, or what was supposed to be him. Black horns formed from his long locks of hair and his cape seemed to take on the transformation as well for it now appeared into crystalized spikes on his shoulders. His eyes were aglow with yellow flames and the inner parts of his lips were blackened and grey, matching the pallor that his skin adopted. 

A mixture of surprise, fear, and dread filled her stomach and it was then that she realized- that this must’ve been what the others felt when they see her transform into Jenova. 

Whatever remnants of Vincent’s humanity was apparently absent as he extended one clawed hand to strike down towards a wounded Yuffie. Before it could hit her, Zack jumped in front and countered his strike with one of his own, sending the unhinged beast back before he could do any more damage. 

“Vincent!” Lady yelled, running over to clamp her hands over his shoulders and shake him. “Get a hold of yourself!!” It was no use, whatever semblance of recognition in his eyes was quickly replaced by the violent urge to maim her. In a flash, he dug his claws into her shoulder and she bit back the string of curses she wanted to scream at him. “Gods.. You really are a  **handful!!”**

White wings burst from her back, unlodging his claws from her skin as the damage immediately healed itself. To match hers, he had black and red wings spurt from beneath the tangle of spiked hair. They were shaped like a daemon’s, with spiked horns tipping the crook just before they fell between the velvety red of the membranes canvasing his wings. 

His lips opened at the sight and then his eyes filled with recognition- but not for her. Through fanged teeth, he growled.  **“Jenova..!!”**

“Perfect. You came.” Leaping off a steel beam was a child. It almost threw her off that she looked only a few years older than Marlene. Though Lady didn’t know her name, she was sure this was the one Shalua was referring to, her little sister. She just didn’t know how ‘little’ she actually was. Shelke Rui shared a striking resemblance to her sister, her orange hair was cut short to her chin with bangs that went across her forehead in a neat row. She wore the same jumpsuit that Nero and the other Tsviet’s wore, and her weapon of choice were two rods that hummed with orange electricity. “Two of my targets are in the same spot. How lucky. Weiss will be pleased.”

Shelke’s voice was distant, almost cold and robotic. Though she claimed she was pleased, she saw no real joy spark in her blue eyes and even when the girl looked over to Shalua- there was still no sign of any emotion. 

Shalua stepped closer and Lady had to block Vincent from lunging at her. “Shelke, release Vincent! Can’t you see what Deepground is doing?” 

“Hello, sister. How nice of you to worry.” Shelke blinked. “I wonder. Where was that concern when I was taken by Shinra.” She revealed a dart gun from behind her back, with the contents of black liquid still sloshing within the transparent glass container. “This formulae is the most effective one we’ve created. One shot and your humanity slips. I wonder-” she aimed towards Lady, “-how would this one work on you.” 

Shalua wasted no time rushing to her little sister, taking the gun away from her and kicking it to the side. Shelke readied her other weapons just as Shalua’s stance widened, her lack of weapon becoming apparently noticeable. 

“I’ve grown since our last sparring match.” Shelke muttered, her weapons humming louder as her eyes began glowing orange. 

“If I remember correctly, you never won a single fight,” Shalua beckoned her sister with a gesture of her hand. “Let’s see.”

Vincent roared, tackling Lady and knocking her backwards into empty gas canisters. Groaning, she grappled one with both arms and launched it towards his face and made him retreat temporarily. Wings fluttering as she chased him with hands intended to restrain him from moving any further. If she could just get close enough, if she could just reach him- she could subdue him. Shalua and Shelke fought in the background whilst her and Vincent went for each other’s throats. Zack helped up Cid while Red nudged Yuffie to stand, she nodded to Zack as they made eye contact. “Get them out of here- meet the others near the Sector exits!!”

“What about you?!” He protested loudly. 

“That’s an order, Zack! Go! Now!” She soon found herself being launched back into a pile of bricks and heard Zack call her name. As the red dust settled, she took a deep breath.  _ I’ve already exhausted everyone else. Don’t disappoint me. _

A voice that was not her own erupted from her throat in a chorus of laughter and penetrated her thoughts. 

**_As if your opinion matters to me._ **

Rising from the pile of bricks, she faced Vincent with a newfound smile. Whether it was overconfidence or elation that caused that smile, she didn’t know. All she knew was that Vincent was going to be her prey. Both of their eyes were illuminating brightly, making them all the more inhuman as their wings tensed to take flight at any time. The tips of her roots began turning a soft shade of silver as her pupils dilated; Vincent growled, his jagged fangs piercing the black and grey skin of his lips. They both waited, eyes watching the other with such intensity that it was easy to get lost in in that glowing vortex. She lunged first, sinking her elongated nails into his side as he countered it with a sharp jab to her stomach. 

Lady laughed loudly, the white of her wings turning .  **“Oh, how I’ve missed you.”**

**“This has been a long time coming,”** Vincent grimaced before revealing his gun and pointed it towards her.  **“Jenova..!”**

**“Chaos!”** She growled, ducking just as he fired and summoning her sword to her hand. Hurling it towards him, she watched as he jumped to the side to avoid it. Landing just where she expected, her leg landed a successful hit to his head and knocked him down. Vincent’s eyes flared up, dark light consuming his body and lifting him up. His wings carried him up into the air and Lady made ready to follow. Before she did, she looked to Shalua who held Shelke in a chokehold. 

“Go! I’m fine over here!” 

Lady nodded, then spread her wings apart as she pursued Vincent into the sky. 

*******

Tifa and Aerith held hands as they rushed towards the exposed tunnel that led them outside of Midgar. They followed the voices and crowds that pushed against them to try and escape the ensuing chaos within the city. 

“Over here! Everyone get in! How many times do I have to repeat this- it doesn’t matter if you’re an Upper plate resident, wait your turn!” Reno gestured towards the airships they had lined up outside. It looked like it could hold at least a hundred or so people each and they could only hope that it would fit just enough. This is what they were made for anyways, to transport large numbers of Shinra’s finest to destroy any who opposed them. Behind the large airborne vehicles was a vast and empty desert landscape, void of any foliage and other civilization. Years after Midgar was conceptualized, the pumps took the vital mako and destroyed the outside environment whilst hoarding it all within this city to make life comfortable for its citizens- leaving none for anyone else. 

“Women and children first! The only exception is if you’re with family!” Angeal roared orders loudly, his sword adding to his imposing figure. 

“Angeal!” Cloud got his attention and the black-haired soldier looked up with surprise. “Where’s Sephiroth and Genesis?” 

“At the other sectors,” he frowned when he saw the rest of them. “Where’s Zack and the others?” 

“They should be coming soon,” Cloud glanced behind him and lo and behold, there was the head of spiky black hair that he came to know so well. “Speak of the devil.”

“Yo!” Zack grinned despite a rather grumpy Cid being dragged beside him. “We’re safe!” 

“Hardly!” Cid grumbled loudly. “Vincent damn near ripped my throat open! Grr.. When that girlie gets him back under control, I’m givin’ him a shit sandwich!”

"Grr.." Even after almost being dismembered by Vincent, Yuffie still had that defiant pout and almost knocked over Red when she shook her fist. "I'm giving him a piece of my mind too!!"

“Angeal,” Aerith ran to him, almost breathless. “Have you seen my mom or dad?” 

He maintained his composure despite his uncertainty. “No, sorry. They must be in Sector 5 still, that’s where Sephiroth is. Don’t worry. I’m sure he made sure she was safe.” He put on a front to comfort her and she seemed to take the bait. “Go on ahead and board, we’ll be fine.”

A flurry of gunshots were heard and screams soon followed. Angeal turned to see soldiers in a uniform he’d never seen before shoot at a loose beam above the entrance, it dangled dangerously over them before it finally gave out and fell. Barret cursed, raising his gun arm towards it before being stopped by Cloud. “Don’t! It might ricochet!”

“Well someone’s gotta do somethin’, tough guy!” 

Angeal ran towards the beam, fisting the handle of his sword, he made ready to swing until he saw a flurry of lines streak through the solid metal. Light sparked between the neat cuts and the once solid block became nothing but thin sheets that landed on the ground with a soft thud. He stopped mid-run, surprised at what he just witnessed- a massive metal beam being desiccated into paper-thin pieces. 

“You have to be quicker than that,” a voice said beside him and he looked up to see red eyes smirking down at him. 

“Madame Onna-! You’re here. How-?”

“I heard my daughter’s prayer,” she looked up towards Titan. “But I’m not the only one who did.”

“What do you mean?”

Onna ignored his question. “Get those people to safety.” Even without Angeal’s guidance, the citizens of Midgar crowded into the airships and he swallowed the lump in his throat when he saw that the capacity was quickly being surpassed. It wouldn’t take long for them to be filled completely and no other space would be left. If worse came to worse, he would elect to stay behind.. If only there were more airships, or, and he hated the thought, if there was less people in Midgar. In some sick twist to answer his prayers, he saw that some of the foundations from the Upper Plates came crashing down on top of the slums and crushing a large area below. The resulting screams that were cut short told him of the aftermath and he felt a pit form in his stomach. 

“Hold it right there!” The unnamed soldiers he saw earlier formed a circle around them. Their uniform of light grey and black were streaked with glowing blue cords of mako that seemed to sewn into the fabric. Though when he examined them further, he saw that it was actually embedded into their skin. 

Onna glanced around her, seeing all the people she was with before finally looking at Marlene who could only hug her storybook tighter. Reaching into the folds of her kimono, she retrieved the fox mask she usually wore. It was made of porcelain with red markings where the facial features were, as well as a circle of red rope dangling from the sides. Lowering herself to Marlene’s height, she placed the mask over the girl's face and the last thing Marlene saw was her painted smile before her vision was clouded with darkness. “Don’t look, child. This is not something you want to see.” 

Tifa slipped on her gloves while Aerith got out her staff. The two girls stood beside Onna as the older woman flicked her sword up from the scabbard with a thumb. “Who will face me first?” She announced loudly. Their response was to ready their rifles to fire directly at her, a gesture she did not appreciate. 

“We’ve got her now,” one soldier spoke to his earpiece. “We’ve got the target’s mom, the Astr-” he stopped talking when a red butterfly flew over and landed softly on the bridge of his nose. Then, to everyone’s horror, watched as the butterfly seemed to inhale the pallid flesh right from the bone. The bone underneath then turned to ash as blood pooled where the naked membranes were without the skin to stop them from leaking out. The soldier would’ve screamed- that is, if he had any vocal cords to use. After the butterfly was done feasting, it began glowing a violent red and turned its wings upwards just as the others were done panicking over their team member being desiccated right in front of them. “Fire!!” 

Round after round of bullets were released, aiming directly at Onna but no sooner than the bullets hit her did they seem to bounce off. The metal casings were made malleable and crushed as they collided into her skin and simply fell to the ground with a pathetic clank. Angeal was speechless, watching one of these bullets hit her in the eye- yet with a bat of her eyelash, sent it away. This woman was unphased by what just happened and he was bothered by it. And what was it that the soldier called her before one of her butterflies attacked? ‘Astr-’?

“I suppose it’s my turn now,” Onna grappled her sword, widening her stance as she counted the amount of aggressors within her line of sight. No more than two seconds from when she unsheathed her blade by an inch did the soldiers began choking. They held their necks as blood seeped between the cracks of their fingers and splattered onto the ground. Sheathing her blade again, she turned to Angeal. “Where is my daughter?” It took him another moment to comprehend what he witnessed. He didn’t even see her draw her blade completely. 

“She’s dealing with Vincent,” Zack answered for him. 

Nodding her thanks, she went to walk past them just as Marlene stepped in front with hands nervously picking at the mask in her hands. “Wait!” She held up the storybook which had elegant cursive on the front labeling it ‘The Butterfly and the Dragon’. “How does it end? Will there be a happy ending?” She tried handing her back the mask but the woman curled Marlene's small hands over it as she no longer needed it. There was no use hiding her nature now. 

“That isn’t for me to decide,” Onna responded softly. “The rest of the story is out of my hands now.” 

The ground rumbled and the openings leading to the underground pushed upwards. Blackened claws dug into the ground as whatever creature from the depths began pulling itself upwards. Chewed off ears followed by milky white eyes and a large, toothy maw revealed itself to them. More claws and fangs clambered out of the sewer entrance, many of them containing a fresh coating of blood on their teeth while another was still chewing on an arm that appeared to be still twitching. No doubt the remains of those who tried to use the underground passageways to flee. Onna examined them from afar, a sudden clarity reaching her as she nodded. “I see. So that’s where the daemons and monsters have run off to.”

“What do you mean?” Aerith asked. 

“Observe. They’ve managed to gather a large number of daemons and fused them with monsters. A being that can harness the power of darkness and can walk freely in the sun. Clever.” There were multiple parts on their bodies that appeared to be chewed on or bitten telltale signs of cannibalism. It was safe to assume that they were kept underground, waiting for the moment until they could be unleashed. But until they could feast properly, they only attacked the weakest of their packs to sustain their hunger. 

More of the daemon-infused monsters popped up from the grounds and started running after the citizens. Tifa tightened her fists and pleaded with Onna, “Help us fend them off here, please!” Onna looked at the desperation in her eyes before finally nodding. 

“Very well.” 

Zack nudged Cloud with his foot, handing off Cid while he did. “Where are you going?” Cloud asked.

“I’m gonna help Lady!” 

*******

This was pandemonium. Everything was going to shit. 

Flashes of red with black and white with purple constantly bashed each other mid-air. Feathery white wings and demonic black wings carried their bodies to clash over, and over again with so sign of stopping anytime soon. Fangs and claws grabbed at each other in some hungry climb to subdue the other. Ancient entities embedded within the bodies of humans had their age old anger manifested and transferred into their minds. Despite this, Lady did her best to not let those dark thoughts take over her as the real goal of this was to control Vincent- not erase him from existence. 

Buildings upon buildings were rendered into piles of stone after they collided into them. With her sword and his gun, they made short work of any structure that got in their way of assuring a clean hit to the other. In the distance, she still saw Titan remaining fast. Him and the other Astrals did their best to maintain the upper plate in the same position it was before, but she knew their strength was waning based off the fact that hers was. So it was important she finish this quickly. 

Sinking her claws into Vincent’s shoulders, she sent him plummeting to the ground and dropped in after him. Kicking him down, she straddled him with her legs on both sides of his hips until she found what she was searching for. There- in his chest, was a glowing white orb with sticky black mucous covering the outer edges and dulling its light. With one hand pinning down both of his wrists above his head, she put the other hand to his chest and released a portion of her energy to mix with his. Slowly, the black veins evaporated until the light returned to its original state and Vincent’s daemonic image slipped away. 

She breathed a sigh of relief as she slipped off of him and began healing the wounds she inflicted on him. As more mana left her body, the fatigue that was made present earlier began to strengthen. It was harder now to focus her eyesight as it continually became blurry, like looking through a lens that kept readjusting. Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, she hoped to stimulate some tears to try and hydrate the painful dryness that irritated her. 

Lady’s eyes fluttered, healing Vincent while at the same time forcing Jenova down into the depths of her soul made her feel so nauseous that she could throw up. That added to the maintenance of four covenants- she would need days of rest after this. Through her tiredness, she almost didn’t hear Shiva imploring her. 

_ “My lady, he is coming..!!” _

“Who?” She said aloud, her words slurred. Though further communication was blocked as the wounds on Vincent healed and her mana was halted. Shaking it off, she staggered to get up and pulled at his arm. “C’mon.. We gotta get outta here.”

The cocking of multiple guns caught her attention and forced her out of her stupor. 

“Watch out!!” 

Lady whipped around just in time to see multiple barrrels of rifles pointed her way. In her foolishness and fatigue, she didn’t even notice the soldiers lining up behind her to take the shot. There was no time to think and yet her body moved slower than she would’ve liked. With the weariness weighing her down, she braced herself for when the bullets would hit her. 

But they never did. 

Arms wrapped around her in a protective hug as the bullets came flying. The sound of metal penetrating flesh was heard, followed by a quiet groan, then a body slumping to the ground. 

Her lip quivered involuntarily as she looked down to see blood stain her chest, yet there were no open wounds present on her.

When her vision focused again, she saw Zack’s limp figure laying in front of her. His torso perforated with bullet wounds. 

A cry hitched in her throat as she dropped to her knees and picked Zack up to cradle in her arms. Opening her mouth, a soundless whimper escaped and she felt her heart clench so tightly that it would have exploded. “Zack..? Zack!!” She let out a hoarse whisper as the boy with the puppy eyes didn’t open them. 

Finally, she saw a sliver of those baby-blue eyes that always had light in them, only for them to close shut as whatever light was present faded out. 

“No-! Noononono-!! Zack! Stay with me!” She shook him, using every healing spell in the book that she could think of- but ended up only watching in despair as her magic failed her and the wounds only continued to fester. “Gods damn it!” she wailed as she pressed her forehead to his chest, the crimson leaving a mark on her skin. “C’mon soldier, open your eyes. This wouldn’t stop you, right? Not you.” Shaking him again, his eyes fluttered open once more before almost closing completely. 

“I always wanted to be a hero..” Zack smiled up at her, tears mixing with the blood leaking from the sides of his lips. “..At least I got to be yours.” Despite her crying uncontrollably and the coldness that numbed his body, he bravely kept that smile on his face and patted her head. “I’m sorry..I wasn’t able to..take you..on that..second date..”

Whatever sounds that were in that city were drowned out as she let out the loudest, most frustrated scream she could manage. It was so loud that she couldn't hear or notice anything else except for the pain in her own voice. 

She didn’t even notice the Deepground soldiers coming closer. 

She didn’t even notice the shadow of a large winged figure in the skies overhead. 

She didn’t even notice that Bahamut had arrived.


	33. XXXIII

The world seemed to be saturated in a bright red hue. 

Red covered her arms, legs, torso, and sword. It dripped down her skin in wet droplets that rolled off her fingers and onto the earth, staining it black. Her body ached all over and she was sure there were wounds as it had itched somewhere on her back. It was the type of itch where if she began to scratch, she wouldn’t be able to stop until her nails had dug deeper into her wounds and leave an ugly scar. Dragging herself across the decimated area of Sector 7, she tried to step over some of the fallen buildings with care but only ended up kicking it to the side. Something crunched beneath her feet and she looked down to see the severed hand of a Deepground soldier. She kicked that to the side as well. 

Littered body parts that were decapitated from their owners blocked her way and she treated them with as little care as possible, either stepping on them as if they were dirt or tossing them away like trash. After she saw Zack fall in front of her, she blacked out- only regaining her temperament after her sword sliced through everyone that dared to fire a bullet at him. In the aftermath, she regained her focus on returning back to the two bodies she left on the battlefield. When she reached them, she dropped to her knees as her exhaustion caught up to her. 

“Zack..” A breathless whisper left her lips as she cradled his head in her hands. “Zack, wake up.” His head bobbed up and down as she tried to jolt him awake- but it was useless. His breaths were becoming more and more shallow and she was left to watch the life leave him slowly. Her voice was hoarse and she hugged Zack tighter. “Damn it..” 

_ Jenova. _ Reeve’s words echoed in her head, reminding her of the healing properties of her own blood, or her cells. It was a long shot, but she wanted to do anything she could to save his life. Bringing her wrist to her mouth, she bit down until the skin folded and scraped off with her teeth. Bitter iron hit her tongue, splashing down to the back of her throat in a slow trickle that increased the more she tore at her own flesh. Tearing and tearing until there was a pool of her own blood in her mouth, she lowered her face to Zack’s and kissed him. 

Both of their mouths were stained red as she pushed her own blood through his cold lips, feeling the temperature return slightly from her warmth. Tilting his head forward, she forced him to drink. She sat there, searching his face for any slightest hint of movement and felt despair creep forward when there was none. Biting her wrist again, she dipped down and gave him even more of her blood. She repeated this process until she felt lightheaded, a new sensation that overrode her previous exhaustion. Even still, no movement. 

Fatigued, worn out, and weary- she collapsed beside him on the dirt. Turning his face towards her, she still held onto the hope that he would somehow open his eyes. The disbelief was still there, the disbelief that her puppy-eyed soldier wouldn’t wake up again. 

She heard her name being called softly and she pushed herself off the dirt, looking behind her as Onna gracefully glided over the corroded rocks like a spirit. Her name was called out again and she sat up, propping her arms on her knees. Onna stopped when she saw Zack and Vincent both lying on the floor, showing no signs of moving from their spots. 

“Bahamut is here,” she looked down at her. “We must move. Your friends are in the airships-”

“I’m not leaving them behind,” Lady’s voice shook. “I’m going to carry them both out. I  _ refuse _ to leave them here.”

“In your state you wouldn’t even be able to carry yourself,” Onna said sternly. “Why must you be so stubborn?”

“I wonder where I got that trait from,” she spat. Getting up, she wiped the blood from her mouth. “After I get them both out, I’m dealing with Bahamut.” 

“You couldn’t even deal with a child the way you are now,” Onna’s brows knitted together then took a moment to evaluate the situation. “The other Astrals are weary, as are you. Make your retreat while it’s possible.”

Beating wings took over the sky and they both looked up to see the Draconian perch on top of the Shinra building. His large and magnificent armor reflecting the sun’s light and sending a glare that forced them to draw back and cover their eyes. Though he was far and the turn of his head was almost indiscernible, she knew that he was still looking down at them. Observing like a predator that’s cornered his prey.

_ “As the Bladekeeper Bahamut, I won’t allow thy existence to continue.” _ Behind the dragon was a conjured circle of swords that rotated until they formed a single shape. The swords, as grand as his armor, pointed towards them and lunged downwards. Onna stepped forward, deflecting his swords with her own and cast them to the side. Summoning the butterfly that ate the soldier earlier, she encouraged it to take flight directly towards Bahamut; getting wider and wider until it exploded into a thousand others that swarmed the Astral and kept him at bay. 

“Go, I will take care of him. This family will protect you,” as she spoke, she looked all around in the direction of Titan, Shiva, Leviathan, and Ramuh. Something which the youngest Astral did not appreciate in the slightest. 

“Family?!” Lady scoffed loudly. “You think  _ this _ is my family? I only ever had dad while you were always gone!” 

“I realize my mistakes must’ve caused you pain,” Onna’s eyes hardened, turning to her. “But I did what I must. The people of Spira needed someone to rely on, as the High Priestess I could not let them perish. They needed hope, they needed a champion- akin to the heroes they always worship in our temples. The ones who drove away Sin.” 

“But you lied to me,” her eyes watered. “You lied to me-  _ this whole time! _ I thought I was human.”

“And you are-”

“By half!” She screamed. “The other half I didn’t know about because you weren’t there to tell me!!”

“What would you have me do? How would I explain to a child that she is not like her friends, not like her father, not like anyone else in the whole world?? You weren’t ready for the truth!”

“You could’ve told me..” Lady muttered. “You. Could. Have. Told. Me.” Every word was interrupted by a pause, because if she allowed them into one string- they would crash through the narrow opening of her throat and rip through the fragile walls of her emotions. It still didn’t stop how her body shook with palpable rage. 

“The world needed to be saved, you’ve no idea what those priests and Bahamut were capable of if left to their own devices!”

“I don’t care!!” She cried out. “Why do you always put duty in front of your family- in front of me?!” Tears spilled from her eyes, hot and searing. “When are you gonna realize that what you do isn’t always right?!” Her voice began to scratch at her throat, rising higher and higher until she was sure that the whole world could hear.

“Because when the world needed a hero-“ she sobbed, “ _ -I NEEDED MY MOTHER. _ ”

The tears wouldn’t stop and her hiccups came in short bursts as she poured out the pain she held in her heart for years. 

Onna felt her own chest tighten. Whatever words of comfort she wanted to speak were cut short whenever she tried to force her lips open. Her hand began to tremble and so she squeezed it tightly to stop it. Her tongue became twisted and prevented her from consoling her; her body felt frozen and prevented her from embracing her; all that was left was to watch her cry from afar, as she always has. The only thing she knew was war, duty, and family. The first two always kept her away from the latter as there was always a threat that would wipe out her two most beloved from this planet. That’s all she could do- to protect them from a distance. 

“I will handle Bahamut,” Onna said softly, sheathing her sword. “Take your friends and flee.” A cold gust of wind blew through the area and Lady’s tears were crystallized before they hit the floor. Looking up, she saw Shiva descend from the sky. “We will distract him.”

Opening her mouth to say something, she was cut off as multiple clones of the ice goddess flitted around her. One of them carried Vincent with surprising ease while the other lifted Zack and left a kiss on his forehead. Lady watched as the wounds were plugged with ice and no longer bled; even his lips turned blue in color and realized the Astral’s magic kept his body frozen in stability. Another came close, wiping the tears from her eyes and smiling at her to let her know that it would be alright eventually. 

“Go,” Onna repeated, her tone as icy as the Astral herself. “Now.”

*******

Everyone there that day was given the privilege to witness this divine spectacle. Such admiration they garnered for the gods and goddesses protecting them- admiration that had a slight edge of fear as they knew they could still be at their mercy at every given moment. That agitation of being smited down was increased when they saw Bahamut, the king of all Astrals. His power easily outmatched the other four that appeared and they all asked themselves why the god bothered to visit their city for seemingly no good reason. 

Suddenly the ground shook as the citizens of Midgar watched Titan move while releasing a roar so loud that they had to cover their ears. To their surprise, the Astral dropped to his knees as the Upper Plate fell down with him. Then in one fell swoop, he ripped the plate from its steel hinges and launched it right at Bahamut. No one expected the Archaean to openly attack his king. 

From the ground rose a figure with large butterfly wings. The figure rose to Titan’s shoulder and sat there, giving the ginormous god a red aura that pulsated with power. Now energized with the help of the butterfly, Titan launched another attack that shook the ground once more. This bought everyone time to board the waiting airships relatively safely. 

“Is everyone alright with you?” Angeal tried to speak over the noise, the phone in his hand being blasted on full volume. 

_ “Yeah---- fine over here. We’re departing---soon, you should go too.”  _ Genesis’ voice was muffled and filled with static all the while Angeal tried to discern what he said. 

“We’re headed to Nibelheim, are you coming with us?” 

_ “We’ll---meet later. But first we have to make sure everyone’s safely on board---” _

The line cut off and Angeal scowled, staring at the ‘call failed’ message on the screen. 

“Angeal!!” He looked up to see Lady staggering towards him, her face wrenched in pain. “Angeal..!!” Before he could ask why she looked like that, he saw what was in her arms and he felt his stomach drop. 

Running over to her, she finally collapsed on her knees but still held tightly onto Zack. Tears streamed down her face as she looked up at him with a quivering lip. Angeal was quiet as he knelt down beside them and looked at Zack’s still face. Dried blood stained his lips, bullet holes riddled his chest and ruined the shirt he wore. It was funny, that morning Zack burst into his room holding up two shirts and asking his opinion on which one he should wear. Angeal pointed at the one in his right hand, hoping it would drive him away- but even still, Zack was enthusiastic as always about his choice. His mouth went dry and his chest felt tight looking at the young man that he helped rise to First Class. 

“I’m sorry,” she choked out, apologizing as if she was the one who loaded the gun and pulled the trigger on Zack. “I’m so sorry.” Looking up, she saw Angeal’s eyes turn misty and his lips were tightly squished together. “They came out of nowhere..and Zack he- he saved me by using his body to- to-” she couldn’t finish the sentence and she shut her eyes so she wouldn’t cry. Soldiers died every day sure, but this wasn’t just any soldier. This was her friend, a bundle of limitless joy and smiles. The First Class puppy. Whether it was foolish or not, she still hung onto the hope that he would open his eyes. 

Angeal’s eyes glanced down from Zack to her wrist, seeing the base of it bitten open and picked it up to examine it. “What happened?” 

“I thought Jenova’s blood could heal him..” She swallowed. “I don’t know if it will. But I have to try!” 

He murmured her real name. “I don’t.. This isn’t a fairy tale. We can’t bring him back-”

“Yes we can!” She shouted at him, reaching for his hand. “I came back, didn’t I?! I can heal him, I can- I can use magic-” 

“Lady. Stop.”

“You were his mentor! Why don’t you care?!” 

“I do care!” He finally shouted back, the stoicism replaced by agony. “But look at you- if you use any more of your energy you just might end up killing yourself!” He took her face in his hands. “And I can’t lose you too.” 

“No,” she blinked away the tears. “I can still save him. I just need time.”

“There is no time!”

“Then make some!” She snapped and saw that infamous frown set on his face. Sure, she was being unreasonable right now- but she could care less. Zack took the bullets for her and she had to repay him by doing everything she could within her power to save his life. Adopting a softer tone, she pleaded with him. “Please, help me save him.”

Angeal’s arms reached under Zack, scooping him up to carry him into the airship. Beside him, Shiva carried Vincent who looked far better off with his skin color returning back to a healthy hue. He walked up the ramp of the airship that apparently belonged to Cid and was thankful for the extra room as all other citizens shuffled towards the back while their original party stayed in the front. Dreading the moment for when they saw what he was carrying, he braced himself when Cloud was the first to spot him. 

“...Zack?” He walked over and soon all other eyes followed. Cloud stared at Zack’s face, his mouth wanting to move and make sound while the rush of his mind drowned out almost every other instinct. Aerith was next, holding her hands over her mouth and for some reason, she couldn’t take her wide eyes off of his bullet-riddled body. 

Tifa wrapped an arm around Aerith as the brunette finally lowered her hands to speak. “Is he really dead..?”

Angeal glanced behind him to Lady and hesitated before answering. "I don't know.”

“What about Vincent?” Tifa asked as Yuffie stood near Vincent with a worried face while Shiva lowered him to the ground, propping him up against the wall. “Is he alright?”

“Yes, Vincent’s fine.”

A loud screech was heard as more of the plates fell, decimating each sector one by one until the upper portion no longer existed. They wouldn’t be able to come back home. There wasn’t even anything left for them to salvage. All the dreams, memories, and aspirations of everyone who’s ever resided within the great metal city died just as the last steel beam gave out. 

“Why..” Tifa’s fists shook. “Why is this happening to us?”

“The Bladekeeper seeks revenge,” Shiva spoke slowly, filling the airship with her icy presence. Her lilac colored eyes wandered over to Lady, “He seeks to destroy you and your mother and sees this as an opportunity to wipe you out together as a pair..” She then changed from speaking common to the tongue of the Astrals.  _ “Child of the Stars, his vindication has been long in waiting. You must make your retreat as your mother requests. Since we have allied with you, Child, he will bring upon destruction to us as well.” _

Lady let out the breath she was holding. Everything she just said just told her that it was her fault that Bahamut was here. If she hadn’t run away back to Midgar.. None of this would’ve happened. 

“Lady! Watch out!!” 

Shiva flew towards her and raised her hand, summoning a giant wall of ice just as one of Bahamut’s sword pierced through it. Only the tip made through the thick protection and Lady looked down towards her stomach where the sword was mere inches away from tearing into her skin. Gritting her teeth, she almost wanted to impale herself onto it. She hated being so fucking useless. 

“It is time, my lady,” Shiva whispered to her. Columns of ice erupted from underneath the airships around Midgar, followed by strong gusts of winds that gave them all a head start to make their departure. 

“I’m not leaving,” she said. “I’m fighting Bahamut with all of you.”

_ “It’s not yet your time, Child,"  _ Shiva’s touch was soft on her cheek and left snow in their wake.  _ “Despite all that you think, you are still human and you can still live a human life. Retreat today, fight tomorrow.” _ Leaning forward to leave a kiss on her forehead, she gave one last warm smile before the glacial air carried her upwards to join the other Astrals. 

“Get yer ass in here, dammit!” Cid barked at her from the pilot’s seat. “We ain’t got all day!” 

“But..” She looked towards the ship then towards the fight. They were giving their all- why shouldn’t she? The other airships were already lifting off into the sky and whatever choice she wanted to make, she had to make it quick. 

Lady watched as they all gathered in a circle around Bahamut, each of their elemental powers giving them strength while they prepared an onslaught against their king. Five points were created around Midgar and the sounds were far too deafening for her to hear anything but the gathering of magic. Bahamut was in the center as they launched their attack, laying waste to anything in front of them; torrents of water, cyclones of lightning, pillars of earth, columns of ice and hail mixed with red mana as they surged forward to destroy the Dragon. A dome of blackened magic surrounded him and she held her breath, had they really managed to subdue him??

The black dome shimmered under the sun before it cracked and broke into a million pieces that looked like the corpses of butterflies sinking to the ground. _Of course_. It wouldn’t have been that easy. 

Lady looked up at the other Astrals, then to the ship, then back to the Astrals again. Her anxiety began building and she really wasn’t sure what to do at that moment. Turning to the ship, she gave them an apologetic look. Protests against her decision were heard but she ignored them until she felt her wrist being held in place. Turning around, she saw Angeal grabing onto her arm. 

“Don’t,” he pleaded. “Please.”

“I have to. If Bahamut isn’t stopped here, he’ll hunt me down for the rest of my days,” she tried pulling away, but he refused to release her. “Angeal please, let me go!” 

“Not again,” he pulled her back harder. “I can’t lose you twice!” His words gave her pause and she wanted to do anything to make him erase that expression from his face. Twisted in sheer torment, he waited for her to ease into his grip to come back with him. 

An explosion cut their moment short and Angeal wrapped his arms around her as they were sent onto the ground by the aftershock. Lady looked behind her to see the metal city in flames as all the Astrals collapsed as their power was expended. At the same time, she felt even more lightheaded and nauseous; on her chest, she felt something being lifted and taken from her.  One after the other, they fell. Ramuh disappeared into sizzling sparks, Leviathan into droplets of water, Titan into crumbling rocks, Shiva into shards of ice, and even Bahamut appeared exhausted from blocking their joint attacks. Though there seemed to be no sign of the other Astral. Scrutinizing the sky, she waited for anything that would indicate her mother’s wellbeing and almost gave up hope until she saw something red and black descend from the sky. 

Onna’s hair was loose, the golden pin that held it together was broken in half and dangled by her ear as the rest of her long tresses swayed past her thighs. Her elegant silk kimono was torn and ripped with the sash nearly coming apart, almost becoming undone entirely. Even her eyes and face had signs of fatigue as she held her shoulder which contained a laceration going down to her back. Tired red eyes look at Lady with disappointment. “You’re still here,” her mother’s voice sounded strained. “What did I tell you-“ she stopped, her hand rising to cover her mouth as something black leaked through her red lips. 

Something about seeing her in this state filled Lady with such bitter regret. A woman who was usually so composed and refined was reduced to this mess she saw before her. 

“Leave,” her voice was raspy but maintained that familiar tone of command. “Now.”

“I’m not a kid anymore, I can help you fight!” Lady started towards her and Onna backed away. 

“Stubborn child..” Lady thought there was a hint of a smile on her face, but it quickly changed to something else. “Live today to fight another. You are not yet strong enough to face Bahamut!”

“I know I’m not!” She cried, hanging onto the bottom of her shirt to ground herself. “But together we could, I know we can!” 

Onna closed her eyes, the possibility of it streaming through her thoughts when at last she opened them again only to see the desperation in her daughter’s eyes. “No. I won’t allow you to throw your life away.”

“And you think I can?!” 

Stepping towards her, Onna fixed her daughter’s hair, smoothing down the stray strands and carefully brushing through it with her long fingers. She smiled down at her, searching her face for something that gave her strength. “I hope you find the family you were looking for. I’m sorry that I couldn’t be there for you, my love.” 

“..What?” Lady frowned, feeling her mother’s fingers leave her face and slink back towards Midgar. “Wait!” Running towards her with an arm outstretched to reach, she was forced to stop when she found herself staring down the tip of a sharp blade. 

Onna’s face was stoic yet her eyes betrayed an immeasurable sadness. “Don’t come any closer.” Withdrawing her sword when she was sure she wouldn't move, she turned her cheek to head back towards the city. 

Not knowing what else to do, Lady hesitated. Years of pain and suffering caused by the loneliness she endured weighed heavily on her mind. Though she claimed she didn’t want to see her own mother again, a part of her craved catharsis. No one wants to be estranged from their own parent; it was human, after all, to seek a place to call home within the ones who raised you. Even after all that’s happened, there was one thing she was certain of. 

She didn’t want to lose another family member to Bahamut. 

Just as Onna was only a few steps away from entering the field, Lady took off after her. And just as she was about to grab onto her kimono, a red hot barrier appeared where she stood and stopped her. The barrier made her body seize up and tremble as pain coursed through her limbs, paralyzing her. She looked up to see Onna stopping only for a moment to glance over her shoulder before disappearing further into the smoke that arose from the destruction. 

“Mom!! Let me in!!” Banging her fists on the barrier, she screamed her name. Despite the barrier hurting her upon impact after impact, she continued screaming and trying to break it down. It wasn’t until she felt someone lifting her up and throwing her over their shoulder did she finally move. Angeal held onto her with a vice-like grip as he rushed back to the airship with her beating her fists against his back. “Angeal, let me go- let me go!!” 

He wouldn’t listen to her and she looked up to see if she could catch one last glimpse at her mother’s figure in the distance. Though all she saw was something black with red wings caught between Bahamut’s closed fist. When he opened it, the insect-like figure fell to the ground covered in a heavy swamp of smoke and fire. At the same time, the shimmering barrier that held Midgar within a bubble shattered into a million pieces. Lady’s throat dried up as tears began to prick her eyes at the possible implication. With a strangled cry, she let out another shrill plea that was covered up by another blast. 

“Mommy!!!”


	34. XXXIV

“You hungry?” Tifa extended her hand out to Sephiroth and another to Genesis. In it was a rather generic looking granola bar that was taken from the rations station inside their airships. Though it looked unappetizing and dry, the two of them accepted her offer with a silent nod of gratitude. “Lady and Zack are at the old mansion. Vincent and Angeal are watching over them.”

Both Sephiroth and Genesis reunited with Angeal as soon as they could after they made sure everyone else was okay. The Turks in charge of their respective airships assured the two that they would be and all they could do at that point was take their word for it. In all honesty, they were both a bit tired and panicked when Angeal contacted them, so they accepted any excuse to withdraw from their stations immediately to see him. His voice over the phone seemed to be weary and drawn out and when they heard Lady crying in the background, they rushed over ASAP. 

“Did everyone make it out of Sector 6 and 7?” Genesis asked her. 

Tifa shook her head, “No.. Not everyone. But most of ours are safe, thankfully. It was thanks to Onna, she fought off the monsters attacking us when we were boarding.”

“Where is Onna?”

Tifa bit her lip and shook her head again. The two soldiers knew better than to ask what happened. “Moreover.. Lady hasn’t woken up either. She spent all day yesterday and today healing Zack.”

“How is his condition?” 

“Maybe it’s better that you see for yourself..” Tifa motioned for them to follow and they did. Nibelheim was a small town, smaller still when the amount of people that showed up started to occupy the open spaces that were available. They saw their members handing out bandages and food to the people that needed them- which seemed to be just about everyone. Nearby, Aerith healed those that she could with her mana nearly exhausted, when she saw Tifa she headed over to her after excusing herself from the other refugees. 

“Hey.. Do you two need healing?” She asked them. 

Sephiroth raised a hand to turn down her offer. “No thanks, we’re fine. Give the help to people who need it the most.” 

“Right,” she then looked at Tifa. “We talked to Cloud’s mom and your dad earlier. You know we all can’t stay here, right?” 

That was the bitter truth of bringing about 500 people to a small village overnight. No way Nibelheim’s resources could take care of them even if this was just a mere fraction of the people that were supposed to have survived. Out of 50,000, only 500 people made it out of Sector 7. Only 1% managed to make it out alive. 

“I know, I know,” Tifa puffed out her cheeks as she sighed. “But we need somewhere to stay until we find a place that can take care of all of us.”

“We can talk about it later,” Aerith said quietly when she heard someone groan in pain behind her. “Take care of yourselves, ‘kay?”

The old mansion just up the hill from the village carried the air of something that was for sure haunted. With its shuttered windows that played with light and shadows, to the moss and vines overtaking the stone- it gave Sephiroth pause. 

Both Genesis and Tifa looked at him with raised brows. “What is it?” Genesis asked. 

“I grew up here,” he spoke softly. “A long time ago before I came to Midgar.” 

Genesis looked back at the rickety building and made a face. “Can’t imagine a child would have much fun growing up here.”

“So it’s true then,” Tifa shivered at the thought that the rumor of her childhood home wasn’t just some scary story to spook the local kids off. “There really was a lab in the basement?” 

Sephiroth remained silent, pushing the doors open and squinted in the initial darkness. Caked on the floor was layers upon layers of dust on which he saw a track of footsteps leading up the stairs and into the bedrooms. Old gas lamps were lit and set on the bottom stair, giving the foyer some illumination that bounced off the chandelier above which looked like it would fall on them at any second. Going up the stairs then taking a right, he opened the door and saw Vincent situated by the wall with Zack laying down on one bed and Lady on the one right beside his. 

Angeal was sitting at the edge of her bed with his face buried in one hand, when the door creaked he looked up for his friends to see the lethargy dragging his eyes down. “Hey. You made it.”

“How are they?” 

“Zack’s..” He stood up with a grunt of effort. “Well he’s breathing, but his pulse is so faint I could barely feel it. As for her..” he moved the blanket up to cover her shoulders. “I had to stay up to make sure she wasn’t healing him. Her magic is weak right now as it is.” 

Genesis looked up to the ceiling as if measuring something. “You’re right, it’s so frail I can't even sense it.” 

“I imagine conjuring four Astrals can take a lot out of anyone,” Vincent’s gruff voice cut in. “We were lucky they were there, I suppose, since Bahamut showed up unexpectedly.”

“Why did he come anyways? What’s his infatuation with this family in particular?”

Angeal remembered Onna showing up to save them. She claimed she was there only because she heard the prayer, and somehow she knew that Bahamut was coming as well. Not to mention her speed and skill that seemed almost inhuman. The Deepground soldiers seemed to prioritize her after they realized her presence-  _ what was it that they said? _

_ “‘We’ve got the target’s mom, the Astr-’”  _

That soldier didn’t get to finish his sentence though, as his body was immediately desiccated before he could.  _ What was it that he was trying to say?  _ Angeal eyed Lady, scrutinizing every feature on her as if they held the answer. A thought had struck him, but he was too much in disbelief to believe that what he implied to himself was real. 

“Why isn’t she glowing?” Sephiroth asked and made Angeal blink twice. 

“What?”

“Usually, the mako would heal her wounds while she sleeps,” he spoke as he walked over to the side of her bed. “But right now it’s not.” 

“She probably gave Zack everything she got,” Angeal muttered. “Damn.” 

Tifa played with the metal lining of her gloves. “So.. Could you give her more mako?” She shrunk back when all eyes turned to her. 

“It’s not so simple as that. Not everyone can master energy transfusion. If they could, we wouldn’t really need hospitals in this world,” Genesis explained to her. 

Sephiroth looked to the window that displayed the barren countryside of Nibelheim. Just beyond it was a group of hills and beyond that were an even larger group of mountains. He faintly remembered what was nestled in those peaks high up where no one would explore freely. “There’s a reactor here, isn’t there?”

“Yeah,” said Tifa. “Further north from here, why?”

Scooping Lady up in his arms, he turned to Tifa. “Take me there.” 

*******

Tifa was just as tired as everyone else, but she forged on nonetheless. Acting as the guide, they crossed over the terrain that became more dangerous as the years passed and tried to avoid conflict with the local monsters if any. “Soo..” she wanted to fill the silence. “You grew up in Nibelheim? Like me and Cloud?”

“Yes, for a brief period,” he replied as he carried Lady up the hill with little effort. “I was here with a group of scientists I believe. Professor Hojo and his so-called ‘interns’ always did their best to appear more sophisticated than the other.”

“Professor Hojo was here too?” Tifa was constantly surprised at the revelations he kept spouting. 

“Yes, he was my father.” 

This made her stop in her tracks completely. “Professor Hojo was your dad?  _ The _ Professor Hojo?!” 

“You seem surprised.” 

“Well, yeah,” she twisted a piece of hair between her fingers. “Because he’s so..and then you’re so, y’know.” 

“So what?”

“Well,” she hesitated. She really didn’t want to insult his dad, despite his dad being a literal evil scientist who was absent of any empathy. “He’s gross and you’re not?” 

To both her surprise and relief, he chuckled. “I suppose for a lack of a better word, he is. There is no love lost for him, so please don’t worry. Though I must confess,” he looked down at the person sleeping in his arms, “if it wasn’t for her and my friends- I would end up as someone vastly different.” 

Tifa almost didn’t want to ask, but seeing as how they still had quite a ways before them she gave it a shot. “What kind of person do you think you’d be?” 

“Someone you wouldn’t like much, I’m afraid.”

That was the end of her questioning and the rest of the journey was made in silence. Thankfully it didn’t last long, as the smell of mako became stronger and they could see green fumes rise into the sky in a messy column. The only obstacle left in their path was the rickety bridge that seemed to be made from the weakest wood possible. Tifa tested it, putting her weight on it pound-by-pound until she stood on the first plank with the confidence that she wouldn’t just plunge downwards to her death. 

“I think it’s safe,” she said more to herself than to him. “Maybe I should cross first?”

“I don’t think that would be wise,” he surveyed the land. “Is there really no other way to the reactor?”

“There is- but it’s the longer route,” she pointed to the twisting canyon below that seemed to be teeming with moving shadows. “And it’s not exactly the safest either. Could you fight while holding her?”

“I could cast spells,” he thought about it. “Perhaps that’s not too safe given the terrain and our proximity. Let’s just cross here.”

Tifa took point, tapping on each plank with a foot to make sure it was safe before giving Sephiroth the okay to move forward. A gust of wind blew through the bridge and she gripped onto the frayed rope to steady herself while the bridge swayed underneath her feet. A single drop of sweat stuck one strand of hair to her face and she swallowed the nervousness down to try and continue. “I think we’re okay.” 

Sephiroth followed, cradling Lady in his arms and maintaining his balance perfectly over the wobbling wood. “Hang on,” he said. “We’re almost there.” Tifa assumed he was talking to her, but when she looked back she saw that he was gazing down at Lady’s face; muttering encouraging words that were fueled with love at every step he took over the expansive canyon. Her heart warmed at the sight. 

They stopped once they reached the other end and the reactor entrance was in sight. Warning signs that became rusted over years of negligence showed; a vibrant patina covered most of the wording and left all of it to be deciphered on what it really said; pipes strewn around the building came down in tangled messes that leaked dark green water and pooled below in a miniature swamp. 

“Wait outside,” Sephiroth instructed her. “You don’t have a resistance to mako such as us.”

“Sure thing,” Tifa watched him go up the stairs and push the rusted door open with his foot. 

Once inside, Sephiroth saw the canisters that lined up in neat rows by the main staircase leading up. The canisters were empty but still contained small traces of mako within them, though not nearly enough to the amount he needed. Up the stairs was a door made of solid steel, above it was an engraved sign that made him sigh. “Jenova,” he read aloud before entering through with a push of a button. It took a few minutes for the machine to start up, but once it did, it whirred to life like an aged feline that was too stubborn to move. 

Inside was an even larger container that once held the alien lifeform that ruined the lives of the ones he cared for most. It was kept here in Nibelheim for a bit before being moved to Midgar, no doubt around the same time he moved too. There were pumps all around it that used to keep the mako from overflowing, but due to lack of maintenance, it all just spilled over the large vat. 

Sephiroth set her down against the wall before getting up and undoing the straps of his fatigues. The coat went first, then the turtleneck underneath which he folded into a neat square to place beside her. His fingers then worked on removing her top, bottom, and after a moment of consideration, her underwear as well. Picking her back up in his arms, he gazed down at the pool that matched the color of his eyes. After inhaling the overwhelming scent of the lifestream mixed with the old rust of the building- he stepped inside the pond of mako. 

It went deeper than he expected and he soon had no more stairs to stand on. Taking the plunge, he let his body flow down as he would in water. Strangely enough he could breath, but this shouldn’t have come off as such a surprise- he’d been submerged in mako enough times to know this by now. He still held onto her and even the tips of his long silver hair curled to wrap around her body, tracing up her bare legs as he waited for her eyes to open.

After a few moments, they did. 

Vibrant swirls laid overhead and for a moment she thought she was back in the lifestream, drifting away into nothingness. It wasn’t until she felt a hand grab hers did she realize she wasn’t alone. Sephiroth cracked a smile at seeing her awaken and in her dazed state she thought she was looking at an angel. Strings of silver and green coalesced to form a filter over her eyes, masking the world around her in pastel-hued colors. It seemed too beautiful to be real. 

Opening her mouth to speak, she felt the mako dribble into her mouth and she coughed. Bringing her close to his face, he cupped her cheek and connected his lips with hers to form a tightly sealed kiss. They floated there for a while, both of their bodies doused in an irradiated glow that no mere human could survive. The strength returned to her body as she wrapped her arms around his, feeling his muscles coil underneath the smooth layer of flesh that was bared for her to touch. 

Even in such a dilapidated area, even in a vat of liquid mako- she felt safe, wrapped here in his arms. 

Their eyes shared the same glow that marked them as SOLDIERs, a glow that intensified the longer they remained submerged. With one final press of their lips, they swam upwards until they could pull themselves out of the pool. She rolled onto her back, wiping the hair from her face and taking a deep breath. He followed suit, running his fingers through his hair as he gazed down at her. Both of them appeared to have just swam fifty yards as beads of green-tinted sweat left their glands and slid down their skin. 

“Where are we?” She whispered softly. 

“The Nibelheim reactor,” he traced her lips with a finger. “Tifa escorted us.”

“Then we should probably not keep her waiting.” Propping herself up on her elbows, she found the rest of her body caged in between his arms as he slid a knee up her leg. 

“She can wait a little longer, let’s enjoy this moment for a while,” he murmured, his nose tracing the artery of her neck. “I want to be alone with you. I was so worried you wouldn’t wake up.” His lips made contact with the base of her jaw, “The world always wants to whisk you away, let me steal some of the time that’s so valued these days.”

“Here? In this dingy reactor?”

“Time spent with you is always bliss, regardless of location. Only when we part do I realize how ugly this world can be,” he whispered in her ear. 

“When did you get so romantic? Has Genesis’ poetry books influenced you?”

“Mmm,” he thought about it. “Let’s hope not.”

They both shared a chuckle that turned into another kiss that pushed her down onto the metal grate. Its cold temperature was barely noticeable for her own body felt as if it was aflame with life. When his head moved back, she put a finger to his lips to stop him. “Later,” she coaxed him off of her gently. “You know we have things to take care of first.”

“Very well,” he got up reluctantly, taking her hand and pressing it against his lips. “Though I expect you to reserve me a spot in your ever so busy schedule.” 

She smiled at the thought of the welcome distraction. “Of course. You’ll be first pick.” As she began dressing up, she heard him do the same. 

“Tifa told us what happened- to your mother. How do you feel?”

Lady slipped her arms through her shirt. “Not now, Seph. Please.” His silence was his understanding and even as they both exited the room marked ‘Jenova’ and towards the front entrance- he remained quiet still. His hands wrapped around hers in muted solidarity and she appreciated the gesture, as small as it was. She needed as much strength as she could gain right now. 

Once outside, she was surprised to see monsters, or what remained of them as their now dead selves had a fire consuming them. Tifa had her fists up, eyes darting around the battlefield for any more enemies. When there was none left, she finally relaxed and dusted off her mini-skirt, “Thanks for the assist!” She addressed two tall people dressed in black leather robes. 

“No prob!” One of them pulled down his hood to reveal a head of spiky red hair. 

“Uh, Lea, right?” Tifa had a finger to tap against her chin. “Reno’s doppelgänger?”

“What are you talking about, Reno looks like  _ me _ !” Lea pouted, his keyblade disappearing from his hand. “Right, Rox?”

The other hooded figure pulled down their cover to show the scowl on his face. “Stop messin’ around, we’re here for a reason.”

“Sheesh! When did you get so strict on jobs?” 

“Lady,” Roxas breathed, running over to her and examined her closely. “Are you hurt? Are you alright? What happened? What-” He was silenced when she put a finger over his lips. 

“I’m fine, Rox. Can’t you see?” 

Tifa and Lea walked over to the three of them. “We came when we heard what happened. You guys need help with anything?” Lea crossed his arms, “Saw how many people you got holed up here, gotta say- this definitely isn’t a good place to set up camp.”

“It's not like we had much of a choice. Oh! That’s what I wanted to mention earlier,” Tifa clasped her hands together. “We can’t stay in Nibelheim. The other Turks said the places they found aren’t doing so hot either, so we need to find somewhere else for all of us.” 

“Somewhere more accommodating?” Sephiroth wondered aloud. “That would be difficult.”

“Especially considering how you all are carrying about five hundred to a thousand per ship,” said Roxas. “I would say stop by Radiant Garden, but it isn’t a city like Midgar.” 

“A city..” Lady repeated and ran her tongue over her teeth in thought. “Huh.”

“Do you know a place?” Tifa asked her.

“Just one.”

*******

“Why’d you have to bring that bird with you?” Gladio huffed. “That’s Onna’s. You know if you harm it in some way, you’re risking your own neck.”

“Hey, I’m perfectly capable of taking care of pets, alright, big guy? Quit doubting me!” Prompto held out a handful of bread crumbs. “Heeeere birdy birdy, you hungry?” The crow craned its head at him, then flapped his wings violently and made Prompto jump back with the crumbs flying out of his hand. “Maybe he doesn’t like bread?”

“Or maybe he doesn’t like you messing with him,” Gladio murmured under his breath. 

“You must be hungry though, right little guy?” Prompto held a cracker in his hand this time, another unfortunate variation of bread. 

After a constant tug of war between pushing his hand away with its head and trying to turn away, it finally let out a shrill caw. “I would appreciate it greatly if you would stop trying to feed me such disgusting foods,” the crow suddenly spoke up. 

Prompto stared at the bird, slack-jawed and dropped the cracker onto the floor; Gladio looked up from his book; Ignis adjusted his glasses to squint at the avian creature; Noctis paused his game. 

“You...you can talk,” Prompto said slowly.

“Of course I can,” the crow made a noise that sounded like a scoff. “I’m a familiar, not some savage animal.” 

Noctis set his phone down, seemingly okay with all of this. “What’s a familiar?” 

“Oh for heavens’ sake,” the crow hopped down to Noctis, beating his little feet against the wooden floor of the prince's apartment. “Those two canines that deliver your letters to Lady Lunafreya- they are familiars.”

“You mean Pryna and Umbra? Do they talk like you too?” 

“Yes, I would imagine so. Though it's not as if I expect much from a dog,” the crow raised its head up proudly. 

“Hey! Don’t talk about Pryna and Umbra like that-”

“Shh!!!” The crow cawed at them with a shrill, piercing sound that made them do exactly as he said. His eyes then turned to the window where he saw another winged creature fly in from the skies. “My lady,” the crow spread his wings and flew out the window to follow. 

“Hey- wait!” Prompto was stopped as he had no more floor to run on and was stopped by the balcony ledge. “Ugh. Come back!” 

“Prompto,” Ignis’ stern voice called him back in. “Close the balcony.” The blond did as he was told and sat back on the couch with his lips turned downwards in disappointment. Ignis’ eyes hardened at the thing he was reading on his phone and through the reflection on his glasses, Gladio briefly saw what got him so concerned. Reaching over to grab the remote, he turned on the TV and flipped through the channels until he saw the same headline in Iggy’s glasses. The first thing that popped up was the colossal size of molten metal and huge pillars of smoke that arose from the remains. The second was the caption that boldly scrolled underneath the image.

‘Midgar falls!’ 

*******

Lady landed onto the floor with a little less grace that she would’ve cared to admit. Her wings disappeared only after she marched up the citadel and the Glaives standing guard could see her. At this point, she was welcomed in with as much candor as any other person of high standing within the king’s court- a fact she was pleased with because she was in no mood to argue with anyone right now. 

“Woah, hey, hey- wait!” Someone called her name and she turned to see Nyx jog towards her. “What are you doing here?” He studied her and saw the anxiety lie just beneath the surface of her eyes, “So it’s true then.. About Midgar.”

“Yeah..” her shoulders fell just a little. “That’s why I need to talk to King Regis. We have refugees, but not all of us can fit within the small villages we fled to.” Turning to walk to the elevator, Nyx kept up with her. 

“You know that’s kind of a crazy thing to do? Asking the king for such a huge favor?” He watched her press the button to go up. “During the war with Niflheim, you know he didn’t even allow refugees within Insomnia- right? 

“I know,” she bit down on her lip. “But I have to try, don’t I?” 

As the elevator doors began to close on him, Nyx stuck his foot in and pushed the doors back open to allow himself inside. “Did everyone make it out okay at least?” 

“The ones I know did.” That 1% still haunted her. The other 99% she just so happened to fail. “Can’t say the same for everyone.”

“You can’t save them all,” Nyx murmured. “You’re only human.” 

She didn’t respond and waited until the elevator signaled to them that they were on the same floor as the throne room. Before she got off, she flashed a smile at the Glaive, “Thanks. For always being so supportive.” Nyx watched her go just as the elevator doors closed and brought him back to the bottom floor. 

Lady saw Cor standing outside the doors with his phone held to his ears. When his eyes landed upon her, he stopped talking for a moment, genuinely surprised to see her. “That’s enough for now, I’ve got business to attend to,” he said to whoever was on the phone. “I’ll send you the rest of the details later.” Pocketing his device, he gave her his full attention. “I heard what happened, are you alright?” 

She could only nod. “Can I speak to the king? Please?” 

Cor motioned for her to follow, but instead of taking her into the throne room he led her down the hall to another set of engraved double doors. Knocking on it three times, he waited until he heard a muffled response before urging her to go inside. Opening the door just a crack for her, she slipped inside and saw the king looking out towards his city. His hair seemed to have more color in it than the last time she saw him; instead of the fine tufts of grey that was swept back, it had a richer hue of muted black that made him look younger. His eyes seemed to have more light and life to them and he no longer relied on his walking stick, instead he stood tall all on his own. 

“Lady, to what do I owe the pleasure?” He gestured for her to take a seat and she shook her head. “What’s happened?”

She dipped her head low. “I came to ask you for a favor, Your Majesty.”

“What’s this ‘favor’?” 

It was a struggle to form the words she wanted to say. No doubt it would be a large debt she would have to pay back once she asked him for this, but she felt as if she had no other choice. Still, something about this situation reminded her of a child asking for far too many toys. “Midgar has fallen, our homes have been destroyed..” the next string of words came out like a puff of air as she still struggled to verbalize her thoughts. “I was thinking- I was hoping..” 

_ Just say it! _

“Here goes nothing,” Lady whispered to herself before blurting it out. “Can you let the refugees stay here- please!” 

King Regis tensed ever so slightly, a passover of worry clouding his proud features. “Lady..”

Fear gripped her and she fell to her knees, pressing her forehead against the floor with her hands laying flat beside her. “Please! I’ll make sure to repay you tenfold- no, a  _ thousandfold _ !!”  Her breath felt heavy with guilt, bouncing off the floor to splash back onto her face in a cloud. “It’s my fault Bahamut was there, it’s my fault everyone lost their home, it’s my fault that my mom-” she choked on air, her fingers dragging across the floor until she felt the nailbed shift from the force. “It’s my fault she’s-!”

“That’s enough,” Regis placed a hand on her head and she felt his body shift to kneel in front of her. “Come, let me wipe your tears.” He reached under his suit and brandished a white handkerchief, monogrammed with the initials ‘A.L.C.’ It stood for Aulea Lucis Caelum, his late wife. She hadn’t even noticed that she started crying, and when she felt how damp the cloth felt against her cheek, she felt embarrassed. 

“You’ve done well,” he said, despite her failures. “It’s alright. You did all you could.”

“But I could’ve done more.”

“If you could have done it at the time, I’m sure you would have. But we musn’t blame ourselves for what was out of our control. “ He placed a hand on her shoulder. “Your mother left to protect you, the fact that you’re here proves she was successful and I’m sure she wouldn’t have wanted you to blame yourself in the wake of her absence. She would want you to forge ahead without a single glance behind.” 

His words gave her hope, but she still doubted them. “She’s dead now, Your Majesty.” Onna was strong, but against the Draconian, even she must have failed too. “Bahamut killed my remaining family and he won’t stop until he takes me too.”

Rare was it when Regis was at a loss for words, this seemed to be one of those occasions. How does one console a child who’d just lost their remaining parent? He waited until her eyes met his to speak, “Bring all those who need aid. Insomnia will grant them refuge.”

Not knowing what else to do, she threw her arms around his neck. Regis was taken aback at first at such a conspicuous display of affection but soon returned it with his arms wrapping around her as well. 

*******

Upon exiting the Citadel, Lady stopped when a crow swooped down in front of her. Its large wing span told her that this was no ordinary bird and she stopped to coax it onto her arm. It took great care not to dig its claws deep into her skin and even bowed his head for her to stroke.  “Kuron, right?” She murmured, remembering what her mother called the crow. “Sorry. Your master isn’t here.” 

The crow looked back up at her. “I know. I no longer feel my mistress’ presence.” 

She frowned at the intelligent beast, trying to figure out how it could talk like any other human. 

“Apologies, young mistress, I never did reveal to you of my true nature. You see- I am no mere crow.” 

“I, uh, I can see that..” 

“Would you be so gracious as to grant me permission to transform?”

“Sure?”

The crow disappeared behind a flurry of black feathers and in its place was a young man with pale skin, hair as black as obsidian, and eyes that contained the same vibrant red glow as her mother’s. He wore a black tailcoat over a black vest and black suit pants- in fact, the only splash of color on him was the stark paleness of his skin, his eyes, and a silver pocket watch he had chained from his chest pocket. Her hand was close to his hair and she felt the strands, noting that it felt like running her fingers through a bed of feathers. 

“I haven’t assumed my human form is so long,” he ran his gloved hand over his smooth hair. “I served your mother best when I could fly. I’m her familiar, you see, and she appointed me to be yours when the time came.”

“‘When the time came’?” 

“I no longer feel her presence,” he put a finger under his chin. “But it doesn’t mean she’s gone.” 

“There’s no way, I saw Bahamut  _ crush  _ her,” she grumbled. “She’s strong, but I’m sure she has her limits.”

Kuron studied her. “We can discuss it later. For now we have much to do, don’t we young mistress?” He kneeled in front of her, his right hand crossing his heart. “I live to serve you.”

She nodded and waited for him to get up. Walking down the stairs, she looked to him to follow, “Kuron, come.”

*******

Aerith glanced up when she saw white feathers from above. “Ah, Lady must be back already. Well that was quick,” she mused to herself. Picking her basket of remedial herbs from the ground, she dusted dirt off her dress and turned around. What she saw made her drop the basket again, the herbs rolling out of their wick cage and onto the dirt. 

In front of her wasn’t the person she expected to have wings sprout from their back- but there he was. 

Zack’s body was hunched over slightly with his bandaged chest completely healed and the bullet holes scarred over with pale tissue. Everything seemed back to normal, except for gaze that contained a glow that seemed brighter than normal with a circle of purple set deep in his mako eyes. That, and the single wing that hung over his left shoulder and cradled his body with a swath of pure white feathers. 

“Zack..?”

“Aerith..” his voice was slurred and the steps he took seemed to be jilted. “Aerith…” 

She rushed over to him, “Are you alright?” What’s happened? You shouldn’t be out of bed!” 

“Ce...t...ra..”

“What?” Aerith leaned over with her hands folded behind her back. “I can’t hear you. You’re mumbling.” The next words were then stopped at her throat by force as a hand wrapped around that area. Aerith’s eyes widened with unexpectant fear as the fingers tightened even harder and her feet were lifted off the ground. 

“Can you hear me now..?” Zack’s eyes glowed a vivid purple as the round pupils dilated into thin slits.  **“Cetra filth?!”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is anyone really buying Melody of Memory? Everyone at Square Enix is off their rocker. Also, I wanted to know if we're comfortable with my shorter chapters or can y'all handle my longer ones?


	35. XXXV

Aerith choked, garbled murmurs of protest left her lips as she clawed at Zack’s hands. Her toes tingled before losing feeling in them completely; a sensation that traveled up her feet, to her legs, and to her arms until it finally reached her hands. Stars blotted out her vision and all she saw was the light of his purple eyes before hers turned black at the edges.

“Zack! Stop!” 

Cloud kicked Zack, sending him skidding on the ground and leaving Aerith to cough with her hands cradling her throat. Cloud held Aerith with eyes filled with concern, “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” she wheezed out. “What’s going on with him?!”

Zack got up, his chest heaving as he held his head to nurse the migraine that made him wince. “St..op..” he whimpered. “I don’t..want to..kill her!” His eyes met Cloud’s and they returned back to the clear blue that they were before, “Get her out of here..!” 

Cloud wasted no time helping Aerith off the ground. “C’mon,” he shouted. “We need to get back to town!” 

“But- the herbs!” she protested, looking back at the trampled basket that held the remedials she needed for the refugees. 

“Aerith!” His loud voice made her tear her eyes away from it and they both ran back towards Nibelheim. Their feet pounded on the ground with dust kicking up behind them as they rushed back to the safety of the village walls. 

“What’s going on with him?” she asked again. “His eyes- they were like Lady’s!”

Cloud didn’t answer, but he knew what happened to his best friend. Once they were inside Nibelheim, he didn’t bother closing the gates as he knew it wouldn’t do much good. Near the water well he saw Vincent talking to Lea and Roxas and called their names loudly. 

“We’ve got a serious problem!” he yelled with enough volume to fill the village square. 

“What happened?” Vincent asked, but his question was soon answered when Zack appeared at the gates with his wing unfurled. 

Roxas squinted, seeing the purple glow in his eyes and groaned. “Oh, fuck.”

“He attacked Aerith,” Cloud explained, almost out of breath. 

“Makes sense, part of the reason Jenova’s in this state is because the Ancients-” Vincent looked directly at Aerith, “- _your_ ancestors helped seal her away. She wants revenge and is using Zack to exact it.”

“Well that’s great,” Aerith stood behind Cloud and Vincent. “What now? How did you guys deal with Lady when she was possessed?”

They fell silent for a bit before Roxas responded, “We didn’t.”

Zack approached them ever closer, his purple eyes burning a hole through Cloud and fixated on Aerith. The murderous intent was made clear in his eyes when the corner of his lips pulled into a smile that wasn’t his. 

“Zack, snap out of it!” Aerith pleaded with him. “You have to fight it!”

Overlapping voices came from his throat despite his lips not opening. Something far deeper with multiple tones that belonged to all the other unfortunate people who were possessed by the same alien lifeform. He closed his eyes, holding his head with both hands as he let out a pained whimper. His body moved against his will and every part of him felt foreign, even his hand that reached out to them in an attempt to seek help- or kill them. At this point he didn’t know which thoughts were his and which were Jenova’s. 

Zack lunged, his hand ready to grab Aerith’s throat again when suddenly he was the one being handled. His body was thrown off balance and he collided face first into the water tower, making the old structure groan along with him. Zack looked up to see another pair of violet eyes glaring down at him and he felt a slight tinge of fear- though, again, the feeling did not belong to him. 

“Lady!” Roxas greeted her though she didn’t return the gesture. Instead she looked to Cloud. 

“Get Aerith out of here, then tell Tifa to get everyone back on the airships.” Lady picked Zack up by the front of his neck, pinning him against the water tower. “Kuron will update you on where we’re relocating.” 

“Who?”

“Mistress,” Kuron descended from the sky, transforming into a human in front of their eyes. 

“But-,” Aerith stopped when she saw Lady pull her arm back and slam Zack into the water tower. “Stop, you might hurt him!”

“This isn’t Zack right now,” she hissed at her before turning back to face him. “Isn’t that right?” 

Zack’s struggling face changed to one of smug assurance, his eyes appearing more feline than ever. **“Of course you could tell. After all, you’re the one who put me inside this boy.”**

Lady grimaced, pressing her thumb to his forehead. “Go to sleep, bitch.” At her command, Zack fell limp into her arms and she caressed his body close to hers, feeling how cold his skin went. 

“..Is Jenova gone?” Aerith asked. 

“No. Not completely. Jenova’ll come crawling back whenever he lets his guard down. For now, let him rest while we pack up here.”

“Where we headed?” Lea looked to the airship outside the village gates. “We’re here to help you guys out.”

Hoisting Zack into her arms, she glanced to Kuron who nodded. “We’re going to Insomnia.”

*******

Once everyone got the message to relay to Insomnia, it wasn’t long till Lucian skies were overfilled with airships. The Lucians themselves feared another onslaught from Imperial forces, but they were assured that this was something else entirely. When they received the news of Midgar’s fall, they were more surprised to find that the homeless citizens would be taking refuge here in the meantime. Of course, there were some within the nation that favored another war more than taking in the recently displaced. This led to unrest from the king’s own court as well- but at this point nothing could be done for they had already arrived. 

Each airship was accompanied by an additional set of warriors from Radiant Garden. Seeing as how most of the ones within the ships were just normal people who had no idea how to fight; the ones who could were exhausted, having been watching back-to-back with little sleep in between. When they landed, Lady could see the ones she knew and she wanted to say them- but business first. 

Barret pushed past Cloud to the front of the ship, seeing the Crown City beyond the thick ballistic glass. He took off his shades to get a better look as his mouth opened in wonder. “Now _that’s_ a city! Lookie here, Marlene. Ain’t it pretty? No nasty pizza covering it and there’s sunshine all around!” 

Marlene rode on Barret’s shoulders as they disembarked, her curious eyes going to the first thing she deemed beautiful. “Look daddy, the trees are so pretty!!” 

Lady looked to where she pointed and her jaw locked. 

Aerith gasped, “I’ve never seen this many wisteria trees before!” 

Lining the borders of the city as well as dotting the inner spaces of the streets were a bold display of the aforementioned flowered trees. Purple and white blossoms fell from the long vines, acting as confetti to formally welcome them to Insomnia. It undulated in groups, painting a picture in the sky for everyone who saw and sprayed a gentle perfume that made Lady’s stomach turn at the familiarity of it. 

“That’s odd,” Aerith said. “I thought wisterias don’t bloom this time of year? But so many of them are already full!” 

“That’s because they’re magic,” Lady answered simply, walking past her to stay ahead of the rush. From the other parked ships, she could see Reno and Lea bump fists. 

“‘Sup, twin,” Reno greeted him. 

“Nothin’ much, playing the hero as always,” Lea rubbed the tip of his nose. 

“Yeah, right,” Xion rolled her eyes as she walked past. “Roxas said you took a nap on the way here.” 

“Did not- Rox!” Lea looked for his snitch. “I thought you said you’d be cool with it?”

Roxas ignored his accusations and gave a thumbs up to Ventus who escorted a group of elderly off a ship. Aqua was there too, giving the ones who needed help a bit of her healing magic while Terra helped lift the ones who were wheelchair bound off the makeshift landing deck. Rude and Isa guided everyone to groups, calling out names to reunite those who were lost during the scattering of their sectors. Xigbar stood watch over the crowd while perched on a scaffold, making sure everything went smoothly and if there happened to be something brewing he would investigate immediately. Kairi, Naminè, and Xion handed out blankets and rations while other Keyblade wielders helped them. Even Aranea was there with Luna, talking with the ship commanders to see if they saw anything strange and providing a service of prayer to the faithful. 

There were more of her friends that reported in, but the sight of seeing all of them in one place set her back with emotions she couldn’t identify. It was odd seeing them all in one place- all of her worlds colliding peacefully. 

“They’re all here because of one reason,” Vincent appeared beside her. “They wouldn’t have shown up to help if it wasn’t for you.”

“That’s so many people,” she murmured. “..Too many that are close to me.” Before Vincent could ask what she meant, they saw flashes of blue travel across the skyline towards them. 

A Glaive warped down in front of her, his face covered by a black veil. “Madame Onna, the Citadel requires your presence.”

She tensed at the name, but after she exhaled slowly she responded back in a stern tone. “I’m her daughter.”

“Oh,” the Glaive’s veil did little to hide his embarrassment. “My apologies. But it would still be best if you come to the Citadel pronto.”

“Of course.”

*******

“You called for us, Your Majesty?” 

Regis turned to meet the faces of Jecht, Auron, and Braska. Once the door closed behind them, he urged them to take a seat but seeing as how the king stood, so did they. “I had questions regarding Bahamut,” he asked, meeting their eyes one-by-one. “It’s come to my understanding that only a god can kill another god, correct?”

“If you know that then Onna must’ve already told you about what she is, right?” Jecht looked at Braska. “Speaking of which- where is she anyways? Did she come in with the ships?”

Regis’ smile wavered and he saw Auron closing his eyes, the answer already clear to him while the other two still needed clarification on what happened to their fourth party member. “She’s.. She has passed.” 

Braska and Jecht’s face fell. Though both their eyes had seen many die in battle, it still didn’t help with piecing themselves back together when the woman they’ve fought with, traveled with, and suffered with was now gone from their lives. Despite that, Regis saw Auron’s face not change. 

“Was there a body?” the warrior asked. 

Braska looked to his side, “Auron..”

“Was there a body?” he repeated, stepping forward.

“No, there wasn’t one recovered. Lady claimed she saw Bahamut crush and bury her deep within the rubble.”

Auron didn’t relax, his gaze ever fixed on the king. “With all due respect, Your Majesty, Onna has lived through things that no normal human could ever make it through. I’ve seen her do the impossible so many times in all the years I’ve known her. There’s still a chance.”

“Auron. Stop,” Braska reached to put a hand on his shoulder, but the gesture was wasted as Auron turned around and promptly exited the room. Braska let out a frustrated sigh and did his best to smile cordially. “Apologies, King Regis. Forgive his callous attitude. Onna meant a great deal to him, as she did to all of us.”

“I understand his pain,” Regis responded. “I wish there was more I could do to ease your suffering.”

“There is,” Jecht’s jaw hardened as he glanced up. “Like I said before, you must know about her daughter, right? Keep it a secret. Onna always wanted her to have a choice, that’s why she never told her about anything that really happened. That..and the seal she placed on her to keep her Astral powers hidden away.” 

The king agreed to his terms. "You have my word." 

Though the secret of her birthright was meant to be hidden and locked away, it was as if that secret was being poured into an old vase with prominent cracks. And as anything that was fragile and prone to breaking after a while, it would do so- with whatever contents being kept within spilled for all to see. 

*******

Outside of the window, Lady could see the crowds of protestors that gathered outside the Citadel to oppose Regis’ decision for Midgar’s own to come here. She had to admire them for their quickness to opposition as it hadn’t even been a day since they landed yet already they had signs expressing their anger. Pulling away, she perused the shelves of the royal library at her own pace as no one else was there to witness how she picked up a book three times then placed it back in four. There was an audience with the king and his own court as to how to deal with the refugees- something she would no doubt have a say in within a matter of time. 

For now, she could catch her breath in the library. 

Passing by an oaken shelf with glass protecting it, she unlatched it to run her fingers through the spines until she felt one that felt worn and thoroughly loved. Selecting it, she soon saw a bookmark made of an uneven strip of felt nestled within the pages. As if someone made a point to hurriedly mark their spot before placing it back. Flipping it open, she began reading aloud, taking heed of what Genesis once told her. He claimed that reading poetry aloud can help one understand it better as the words echoed back to you. 

“As natural as the land, sea, and skies/ Whether by nature, famine, or disease- it takes what is due..” She felt a bit strange reading it outside of her head. Closing the book, she stopped herself then opened it back up to read the next line- but it was already being read for her. 

“‘Embrace me, O Oblivion, and take me into your fold/ Hold me fast, in the eternity embedded within your light.’”

Lady turned around as the other verse was spoken aloud with such exquisite eloquence. 

“‘My blood seeps stardust, everlasting as this age/ Your darkness holds no fear, showing only the touch of a paramour.’” The voice got closer and when she turned around, she was met with that sinful grin once again. “Lovely poem, is it not?”

“Bit too romantic for me,” she set the book down, but not before bookmarking it with the felt cloth that appeared similar to the inner lining of the other reader’s coat. “Maybe I’ll warm up to it in time.”

“Poetry was never something I enjoyed,” Ardyn admitted, eyes following the swift movements of her throat as she swallowed. “I always preferred more..theatrical, performative settings.” A hand traced her back, stopping at her waist, “Something that included being involved- that’s what I appreciate best.”

She gave an uninterested hum, turning around and sorted the books she took down from the shelf. Ardyn was baffled that he was promptly ignored and continued being forgotten as she packed up her books and took a seat by the window. Following her, he stopped right where the sun cast its shadow on the ground. “My dear, are you upset? Ah- I know why. You’re still angry at the words I imparted unto you in Altissia, correct?”

The library was silent as she flipped to the first page of ‘A Thesis on the Divine’ with the sun covering her body in a substance he couldn’t touch. “Do you really intend on giving me the cold shoulder forever?” 

She looked at him over the rim of her book. “Step into the sunlight and say that again.” 

“You know I can’t do that,” he smiled though his face was itching with annoyance. 

“What a pity.”

Ardyn traced the outline of light, his feet staying within the boundaries of shadow as he did. Pacing around, his eyes never left her like an animal stalking its prey. “Not quite. The mighty mako city has fallen, now _that_ is a pity. And now they gather within Insomnia under the ever-gracious wing of King Regis. I don’t suppose you had a hand in that, my dear?” 

Lady slammed the book shut with a frustrated huff as she couldn’t focus with his velvety voice assaulting her ears. “You could’ve left Insomnia but you chose to stay,” she said. “Why?”

He stopped pacing, his eyes intensified at the sound of her question. “Take a guess.”

Neither of their questions were going to be answered today, but they didn’t need to be. The two of them already knew what the other would say anyways. 

Looking out the window, she saw the many people on the streets, appearing like little ants crawling on the smooth pavement. After their day was done, they would march back home. Possibly to their families or significant other and they would live this way for the rest of their lives, happily passing on once the last drop of sand has fallen. “Oblivion..” her gaze turned far. Farther than Insomnia, farther than the planet and looking to the stars hidden by daylight. “To live for an age and beyond- how do you think it would feel? Lonely? I imagine it’s like living on a single island in the sea.” 

“That sea would have many islands like yours,” he corrected her. “Though you will eventually see the water swallow them up, one by one until it’s only you and the great nothingness left.” One side of his lips pulled into a smile, “It’s enough to drive anyone mad.” He extended his hand out to her. 

She raised a brow, “Are you asking me for forgiveness?”

“You know I don’t ask, my dear,” he said as his lips curled into a smirk. “I take as I please.”

Walking over to him, she leaned forward, pressing her lips against his in a kiss- but not quite. “Then you risk my rejection.” Retreating, she maintained her composure, “There is something I need from you. Ifrit, the Infernian. I request you hand over your summon to me.”

He seemed surprised at her straightforward request. “Why? Do four Astrals not sate your hunger for power? Unless..” his finger hooked on the collar of her shirt and pulled it down, viewing the bare skin there. Bare skin and nothing else. His eyes slowly met hers, silently asking why there were no longer marks there. 

*******

“Well dammit- how am I supposed to know ‘bout these fancy schmancy Crown City gadgets?!” Cid bellowed as he tossed the floor plans back onto the table. “Ain’t we supposed to be taking refuge here, not fixin’ up the goddamn place?”

“Uncle,” Cindy frowned. “C’mon now, don’t be like that!” She bent over to tidy up the plans, stacking them into one neat pile before setting her hands firmly on the table. “I came here with Paw-paw to help when he heard the news- you should be helpin’ us too! That’s how our family runs!” 

“Cindy I know you mean well by comin’ here, but-” Cid paused to take out his pack of cigarettes. Though he put it back in his pockets when Cindy eyed the wrapped nicotine before giving him a scolding glare. He broke off a splinter from the table and stuck it between his lips, pretending like he was getting his fix. “Anyways, we just got here. Give me some time to rest!”

“No time for it,” Lady lifted the flap of the tent to enter and Cindy’s eyes lit up at the sight of her. “I need all engineers to start working on the city’s gridline. We can’t just stay here and do nothing. In exchange for helping with the infrastructure, the council agreed to help us with housing.”

“I don’t mind,” Cindy’s lashes fluttered unconsciously at her. “Never did mind gettin’ my hands dirty!” At the statement, Lady smirked, making the blonde dip her head down as a blush creeped up on her cheeks. 

Seeing this, Cid’s eyes squinted at Lady. “Who are you gettin’ so fresh with my niece- huh?!”

Lady clicked her tongue. “Relax, old man. I’m just here checking on you two.”

“‘Old’?! I ain’t old yet, why you-“

“Stop that!” Cindy stepped in between. “She didn’t mean any harm by it. Ain’t that right, sweet pea?” Cid opened his mouth to protest with the splinter of wood falling from his lips but was stopped when Cindy frowned at him again. “I’ll be back, uncle. I’m sure Paw-paw would wanna catch up with you when he gets back anyways!” Cid grumbled something that sounded close to an insult before they exited the tent and was blinded by the sunlight. “Sorry ‘bout that. He gets cranky when he’s stressed.”

“Don’t we all.” Lady’s arm was down by her side while Cindy’s wrapped around hers as they navigated the crowd. 

“So many people.. I saw what happened to Midgar afterwards, it looked terrible.”

“..Yeah, it was pretty bad. Sorry.”

“For?”

“Well, you wanted to see Midgar, right?”

Cindy stopped, tugging on her arm so that they remained stationary together. “It’s alright. I got my uncle’s pictures to get an idea of what it was like. And besides,” she stepped closer until Lady saw the hazel flecks in her eyes and the smell of gasoline and car wax became stronger. “What I really wanted was to spend time with you and..” Getting on her tiptoes, she whispered something into her ear and Lady chuckled to herself. 

“It was that enjoyable for you, huh?” 

“Yeah,” she seemed bashful to even admit it. “Hey, don’t smile like that! You know it was!” The elation on Cindy’s face faded and she took Lady’s face in her hands. “Everything alright?”

“What makes you think everything isn’t?”

“Your eyes,” Cindy studied them closer. “Your lips might be smiling, but your eyes aren’t. I can tell when another woman isn’t really feeling happy, sweetpea.” That struck a nerve within the young Astral. Her mother always did the same, smiling to be courteous but never meaning it. It made her wonder- just how unhappy her mother really was with the weight of her sacrifice that burdened her. One thing was for sure, she’d never forget how her face looked when she screamed that she never wanted to see her again. 

If only they parted on better terms. 

“Oi, Lady!” She looked up to see Reno flag her down and grabbed onto Cindy’s wrists. 

“Let’s just go see what they want first, hm?” Walking over to them, she saw Reno standing with Rude and a bunch of her other friends from Radiant Garden and Midgar. “Hey guys,” she nodded to the ones dressed in their heavy black coats of old. “This is my friend Cindy, I’m sure you’ve seen her before in the group chat.” 

“Hey y’all!” Cindy beamed her ever charming smile and Lady saw Lea nudge Xigbar while Elrena clutch the mug in her hand until the leather creased tightly over them. 

“Have you come up with a plan?” Isa asked her. 

“Will they really let us stay here?” Tifa spoke next. 

“Yeah,” she squatted by the small campfire and felt the flames lick the tips of her fingers before drawing back. Though miniscule, it helped with the cold breeze rushing through the city. “I brokered a deal with their MOD. So long as we play nice with the rest of the Lucians, we should be fine.”

“So that’s it? Just learn to share sugar and have tea parties and you’re set to go?” Xigbar whistled. “Seems too easy.”

“I wasn’t finished,” Lady stood back up, looking at him as she did. “Whatever mechanics, engineer, scientists, and soldiers we brought from Midgar are to help Insomnia with reinforcing their city effective immediately.”

“Right now?! But we barely settled,” Tifa hesitated. “Those are our terms?” 

“If someone moved into your house and lounged about doing nothing- not even paying the rent, how would you feel?” 

“A bit irritated,” Aerith admitted. 

“That’s an understatement,” Elrena scoffed. “I would want them kicked out.”

Lady pointed at Elrena. “She’s right. Then we do whatever it takes to not get kicked out.” 

“Ughhh! We have to _work_ so we all don’t get kicked out?!” Yuffie kicked a pebble into the campfire in the middle. “Lame! I thought you said the king was okay with everything?” 

“Oh, the deal wasn’t for me,” Lady smirked. “I can stay at the Citadel if I wanted. _You_ all might get evicted though. King Regis insisted on it.”

“Huh?!”

“How do you even get on a king’s good side anyways?” Emyd plucked a string from his guitar he brought along. “When even was this?”

“I saved his city a while back,” she responded with a bored look. 

“Why didn’t we hear about it on the news or something?”

“Because I didn’t want the fame. I just wanted to go home,” she sighed. “It was around the same time I-” she motioned a line across her eyes, “-went blind. Remember?”

“You went blind?!” Barret exclaimed. “Wait, but your eyes are fine now-”

“Anyways,” Lady waved his inquiry away. “I need everyone who knows basic healing spells to show up at their infirmary and administer first aid to both Lucian and Midgar citizens. How many of you know how to cast cure?” She saw a couple hands raise up, some were confident like Aerith’s while some were hesitant like Naminè's. “If you don’t feel comfortable doing so, then you don’t have to do it,” Lady said as she looked directly at her. “It’s okay if you wanna stand back. 

“I want to help,” the girl insisted. “Kairi and I learned a bit from Elrena. We can cast magic well!”

“If that’s the case then do you mind helping them if they feel a bit of doubt, Elly?” 

“If I have to,” Elrena muttered. 

“Then, I’ll have the rest of you on guard duty,” Lady eyed some of the Keyblade Wielders. “Keep your vantage points high so you don’t have to crowd around one place. You know the drill right?”

“You forget who you talkin’ to?” Xigbar grinned. “Like how we used to stake you out at your apartments, gotcha.”

“What?” Cloud frowned at the man with the eyepatch. “You guys used to stake out Lady?”

“Long story, spiky,” Xigbar’s smile was feline in nature as he eyed Cloud. “We all used to be enemies here.”

“How did you guys become friends then?”

“Like the old dude said,” Elrena looked his way. “It’s a long story.”

“But it’d be fun to sit back and reminisce,” Lea crossed his arms behind his head as he leaned back against a wooden crate. “C’mon. How long has it been since we all met up like this? We should crack out the drinks.”

“I like the way you think. I still have a couple of bottles saved,” Reno nudged Rude. “We can have a game night- like back at the apartments!” 

“Count me out of it,” Isa’s brows narrowed. 

“Lightweight,” Roxas muttered under his breath. 

“This isn’t really the best time to mess around though, isn’t it?” Xion chided Lea, Isa, and Roxas. 

Xigbar squinted then grinned when he found something to smile about. “Well looky here, we got the rest of the Alstroemeria’s ex-residents coming in!”

“Sup,” Noctis raised his hand to greet them. “Guess everyone’s here, huh?” 

“Well if it isn’t the crown prince himself,” Xigbar faked a curtsy. “Thanks for letting us bunk in your city, Highness.”

“‘Highness’?” Yuffie’s eyes lit up at the prospect of a royal to rob. “You’re the prince?!”

“I know right,” Gladio said as he and Ignis held back a laugh, “doesn’t look the part, huh?”

“Hey!” Noctis frowned at his would-be shield. “Not cool.”

“It’s okay Noct, we’re all friends here,” Lea reached into the crate behind him and tossed the can to the prince. “Take a seat, we’re all catching up.”

“Vinny!” Prompto walked over to Vincent. “Hey man, I haven’t seen you in forever! You said you’d show me how you can shoot a flying disc at a hundred meters! Woah, look at that- you haven’t aged a bit.”

“Good to see you again Prompto,” Vincent cracked a faint smile. “It’s been a while.”

“Since you’re here, what say you to a sparring match?” Gladio spoke as he sat down beside Angeal. 

“I say bring it on,” Angeal handed him a beer. 

“Oy prince,” Lea wrapped an arm around Noctis’ shoulder. “Gonna take us on a grand tour of your city?”

“All of you?” Noctis made a face. “That’s too many. No way I can do that.” 

“So how did you guys all meet? Did it start with Lady?” Tifa asked them. 

“Yep, we all stayed at Lady’s place. She owed the apartment complex back in the day, so we all just bunked in,” Roxas explained. “I was her first resident!” 

“No,” Lea frowned. “ _We_ _both were_.” 

“Least I paid my half of the rent on time,” Roxas shot back.

“What was the place called?” Aerith piped in. 

Roxas had a reminiscent look in his eyes as he spoke. “The Alstroemeria.”

“Aw!” the florist clapped her hands together. “That means friendship in the flower language, you know.”

“It was so nice there,” Xion sighed with a pleasant smile. “It was the first real home we all knew. Besides the old castle we used to stay in.”

“Which one?” Yuffie asked her. 

“Well,” Xion fiddled with her fingers. “It’s not..exactly here. How should I put it-”

“It existed between realms,” Xigbar cut in. “Technically it didn’t exist, and neither did we.”

“What do you mean don’t exist? I’m seein’ you fine just now!” said Barret.

“We didn’t have hearts, kinda like just empty husks walking around,” Lea told him with such nonchalance that it bothered the Avalanche leader. “It was part of some weird cult we were all part of. Roxas and I bounced, we got in trouble, found Lady, the rest is history. Gotta tell you though, our old boss Xemnas was so unhappy that it was almost hilarious.”

“I’m willing to bet that you wouldn’t state that to his face,” Isa almost smiled. “Or would you be stupid enough to do so?”

“Ugh, Xemnas, Ansem, and Xehanort are so unsettling. I don’t even know what to say to them,” Emyd shivered. “They may have their hearts now like us or whatever but they still act like such emotionless dudes!”

“Xemas is the name of your boss of your cult? And you’re friends with him now?” Aerith tilted her head. “How does that even happen- and who came up with that decision?” When all eyes turned to Lady, the one in question shrugged and continued tapping away on her phone. 

“Hold on a sec,” Cindy leaned forward. “How many of you actually tried to kill Lady?” 

At this, Lady looked up from her phone and at them. “C’mon, don’t be shy. Raise your hands.” The ones who came into her life after trying to battle and kill her raised their hands and she returned her eyes to her phone with an amused smirk. “Heh.” 

“Never did figure out why you were okay with it in the first place. No offense to our allies now, of course,” said Genesis. 

She shrugged. “I’m a forgiving person, what can I say.”

Isa crossed his arms. “Perhaps too forgiving.” 

“It’s not a totally bad trait,” Naminè patted him on the shoulder. “We wouldn’t all be here right now if it weren’t for that.”

“Well all that matters now is that we’re all friends.” Lady looked up at the sound of crunching gravel and immediately got up, taking off her jacket and laying it on the dirt space next to her.

“You don’t have to do that,” Yuna smiled as she took a seat beside her, folding her skirt below her legs as she sat propped on her knees. 

“You’re going to get your skirt and _obi_ dirty if I don’t.”

“Yuna!” Aerith grinned, waving at her from her spot beside Tifa. “How’ve you been?” 

“I’ve been well,” Yuna responded in that polite tone of hers. “Thank you for letting me stay at your home while in Midgar.” 

“That’s alright, honestly it was better you left early,” her smile turned sad. “Who knows what would’ve happened if you hadn't.” 

“Hey Tidus,” Gladio nodded at him. “By the way, what was that sport you were telling us about earlier? What was it called? Blitzball?”

“Yeah! It’s totally awesome, I’m surprised I didn’t see any blitzball stadiums out here,” Tidus plopped down next to Yuna, except his bottom hit bare dirt. “Kinda sucks I can’t practice for the next season while I’m here, but it is what it is.”

“What’s blitzball?” Terra asked Lady. “Is it popular where you’re from?”

“Ask him,” she pointed at Tidus. “He’s the captain of our island’s team.” 

“I never heard of blitzball before,” Xion looked up at the blitz player. “Sounds like fun.”

“It makes sense, usually a stadium with a big floating orb of water is needed. Most of the time, landlocked places like this don’t really have it. Basically you kick a ball to make it to the opposing team’s net, whoever scores the most points wins of course,” Tidus swiped a thumb across his nose. “I got the most points for our team at the last championship!” 

“Tidus and his father, Sir Jecht, are legends in the blitzball world,” Yuna clasped her hands together as she explained it to all of them. “Seeing them play the sport is like seeing an artist paint! It always gets so loud whenever they come into the stadium.”

Lady snorted then whispered to the young summoner beside her. “Careful Yuna, his head might get bigger if you keep that up.”

All the while, Tidus continued on. “But my old man just knows how to play ball, Yuna’s dad though, he’s one hell of a mage. He’s pretty famous in Bevelle, that’s the capital of Spira.”

“Ooh, what a pretty name,” Naminè’s eyes lit up at the name. “What’s it like?”

“It’s a holy city with floating spires and waterfalls running off the edges. It’s the pride and joy of Spira. It’s where my father met Auron. Sir Auron himself is a famous warrior that guarded the temple in Bevelle, in fact that’s how him, my father, and madame Onna met.” Yuna felt Lady stiffen beside her. "Bevelle houses the followers of Bahamut. They constantly keep the city clean and there's always colorful festivals to celebrate the divine there. The sermons were always wonderful, especially when madame Onna sang. Her voice really sounded like that of an angel's!" 

“Sounds amazing, I’d love to visit,” Tifa smiled. “It sounds nothing like Midgar.”

“That’s a good thing, I wanna see this city with my own eyes,” Barret adjusted his shades. “Sounds like a place to visit with my little girl!” 

“Not sure about the temples, but I wanna check out the blitzball stadium,” Xigbar said. “Reckon I can make a few bucks off sports bets.” 

"I second that," Gladio agreed.

“Woah woah wait, if we go to Spira, I wanna see the place where Lady grew up,” Prompto said aloud. “I mean you guys said you were islanders, right?” 

“Like us?” Sora raised his hand. “I’m an islander too!” 

“Ooh, it’s settled then! We all take a beach vacation!” Lea exclaimed loudly. 

“I’m so in!” Aerith clapped her hands. “I want to see Spira too!” 

Lady face changed subtly to discomfort. Not just at the eagerness of seeing how many of them wanted to see her childhood home, but at just how many people seemed to crowd around this small campfire. What started out as a debriefing turned into a rather large gathering and quickly became crowded. There were far too many people here and she found herself feeling more alone than ever. While they talked of plans of visiting places far and beyond- she was not eager in the slightest to see the home where she buried her father. Thankfully, she heard her saving grace in the form of a large murder flying overhead. 

Craning her head back, she saw a black cloud head towards the Citadel. “That’s my cue,” she whispered to herself. “Gotta bounce, you guys have fun.” 

Ignis looked around the campfire then to her. “It appears you're one soldier short. Where is he?”

“Yeah, I haven’t seen Zack. Is he okay?” Terra asked. 

At the mention of his name, a hush fell over the groups that knew of his fate. Picking up on this, Reno quickly brought out his pack, pulling out a stick and balanced the cigarette between his lips. “I dropped my lighter at Midgar, could you light it up for me?” 

Lady motioned for him to come close and she snapped her fingers as a small flame formed in the space between. She felt him inhale as he tried to light it on his end and backed away when the smell of burning tobacco became prominent. Nodding his thanks, he walked back to his spot as she made her way towards the Citadel, thankful for the distraction to make her getaway.

“Lady- wait!!” Aerith caught up to her, the breath already becoming strained as her stamina didn’t measure up to hers. “About Zack, can't you do something?” 

“Aerith..”

“Please,” she clasped her hands together while her eyes shimmered with hope. A look that she didn’t want to shoot down. 

Lady looked to the sky to see the crows slowly disappearing and remained with Aerith, staring the florist straight in the eyes with a stern line across her lips. “The Jenova cells are the only things keeping him alive. There’s not much I can do.”

“You can take them away though, can’t you? Like you did with Angeal, Genesis, and Sephiroth?”

“Yeah- but they weren’t riddled with bullets and most of their internal organs are still intact. Zack was inches away from death, what I did was a desperate attempt to keep him alive.” She swallowed her own words, regretting the truth in them. “I’m sorry.”

“But he’s suffering so much..” Aerith’s eyes turned downwards. “Is it really the best option to keep him like this? Alive just so that he can be in pain the whole time?” 

Lady didn’t answer, instead turning her back and following the dark clouds in the sky. 

*******

“Is it wise to go out by yourself?” Kuron asked Lady as she dragged a whetstone across her blade. 

“It’s the deal I made, so I will fulfill it,” she mumbled back, swiping the edge with oil. 

Gentiana shook her head ever so slightly at Kuron to tell him not to question her motives further and returned her attention back to Lady. “Is the young mistress hungry?” 

“I’m fine Gentiana, thank you.” A rap came at the door and Gentiana looked up just as Kuron walked over to open it. His face adopted one of annoyance as he stepped to the side when a pair of dogs welcomed themselves in. One white and the other black, they sat in front of her with tails wagging and eager smiles on their canine faces. “Pryna, Umbra, what’s wrong?” Then, in the blink of an eye, their canine bodies changed into that of a human. 

Much like Kuron and Gentiana, they both wore formal clothes that matched the color of their hair. Pryna had the form of a young girl in her teens, short and petite, with white hair cut into a bob close to her chin. Her eyes were golden-yellow and rimmed with silver lashes that looked close to a halo around the sun; around them were black marks that looked like eyeliner, but upon closer inspection they were more like tattoos. The dress she wore flared out around her knees and had fur lining both the top and bottom hem that looked incredibly soft, it flattered the innocent expression she had on her face. Of course, it was contrasted to the man she was standing next to. 

Umbra looked around the same age as Kuron, with greyish-blue hair swiped across his eyes and falling to the tops of his shoulders. There was a white x-mark shape that crossed his face vertically from his brows, the same mark that he bore on his canine form. He had the same eye color as Pryna and wore black slacks, a dark grey coat with a black chain connecting the lapel and black fur trim across the pulled-up collar. There was a tiredness to his eyes, but even with it, he smiled at her warmly as if greeting an old friend. 

They both got on one knee, their heads bowed, and hands crossing their hearts. “I’m sure you know us by now, my lady. I am called Umbra,” he spoke first. 

“I’m Pryna!” She popped her head up. “Nice to finally meet ya!” 

“We were previously in the service of the Oracle, but due to the current circumstances, we found it would be best if we served you. As the next in line, consider us your allies from now on.” Umbra finally stood up, standing a head taller than her. Before he came closer, he was blocked off as another stood in his way. 

Kuron turned frigid, his proud posture meeting the other familiar head on. “Flea-bitten dog,” his lips curled over his fanged teeth. “You will stay away from my mistress.”

“As familiars it’s our duty to serve any and all remaining Astrals,” Umbra growled, that last word being turned into a whisper as his yellow eyes darted around to make sure he was unheard despite the room being empty of people besides them. “Let us do our job, _bird_ , and we will let you do yours.” 

“Moronic mutt.”

“Cretinous crow.”

“That’s enough!” Lady’s voice made them both stand down, bowing their heads out of habit. 

“Forgive my transgressions, young mistress,” Umbra approached her again, successfully this time, and took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. “As I said. Pryna and I are at your service for anything you need, be it small or large.”

“Are you done swearing in your fealty? You’ll give her your fleas,” Kuron muttered and Umbra rolled his eyes. 

Pryna bounced up to her, the white fur coat hanging around her shoulders going up and down in tandem with her movements. The black markings around her blue eyes were accentuated by the excitement as she took Lady’s hand. “This is exciting~” she beamed at her. “A new Astral, who would’ve known!!”

“Hush Pryna, our lady doesn’t wish to reveal her true nature,” Umbra told her with a stern voice and made her slink back with a whimper. 

“I don’t mind if it’s you guys,” Lady reached forward to pet Pryna on the head. “As long as no one else knows.”

“Withholding the truth from your friends might not be such a good idea,” Kuron addressed her with the formality of a trusted confidant. 

“I know,” she said. “I just need time. It hasn’t even been a week yet since I found out. I want to be able to digest this first before people bombard me with questions.”

“Fair enough. I’ll see to it that it will be kept under lock and key,” he spoke as he glared daggers into Pryna. “Isn’t that right?”

“Eep! Why do you always have to be such a bully, Kuro~” 

“My name is Kuron, address me as such or not at all.”

“Kuro!! Kuro, Kuro, Kuroooo! Hey! It sounds like ‘crow’! No wonder your name is like that!”

Kuron straightened his overcoat and turned to Lady, “Let us take our leave.”

“Wait, come back!!!” Pryna stomped her foot on the ground, puffing up her cheeks as she did. “Ugh!”

“Come, you two,” Gentiana motioned to the canine familiars. “Let us take our leave as well.”

*******

Before she left to do what she was tasked with, Lady stopped by a hidden building just on the borders of Insomnia. Inside was dark with only a flickering lightbulb lighting up the room accompanying the smell of damp that made her nose scrunch up. Across the wall was a makeshift grip where a bundle of chains were wrapped up and led to something that lay against the wall with their chin tucking into their chest. 

At the noise, their head perked up and she saw a purple glow in the darkness. 

Zack peered up at her with indigo colored bags under his eyes, a paleness took over his face and the perspiration on his body felt cold to the touch. Lady wiped it off with the back of her hand and got on her knees to be at eye level with him. The roots of his raven hair had the slightest hint of fine silver despite him retaining his youth; this was the work of a different type of cell making changes to his body. 

“Let me go..” he croaked and pleaded at her with his eyes. When she didn’t respond, his chains shook as his body convulsed slightly. “It hurts..” he moaned. “Does it ever stop hurting?”

“No,” she replied softly. “Not really.”

“Lady..” he panted, gripping onto her arm with the chains rattling off his wrists, “I can’t.. I can’t get her voice out of my head.” A tear escaped his purple tinted eyes, where they were once a beautiful baby blue. “I can’t do this anymore, please-”

He squeezed his eyes shut. “Is this what you went through? Oh god.. It hurts so fucking much. Make it end, please..”

To her disgust, she thought about it. She thought about summoning her sword and plunging it deep into his heart just to stop his suffering. But neither she nor the others wanted Zack dead. 

But was this right? To keep someone alive because you wanted them to? Or to go against their wishes just to see them suffer immensely? 

There was so much on her mind already, but even still, this cut through her like a fresh cut deep in her heart. 

“Sorry, Zack,” she whispered to him and pressed her lips to his forehead. “I’m sorry.” Truly was not much else she could say, except apologize. Perhaps it really would have been kinder to let him die in Midgar. 

Leaving him alone, she tried to close her heart to the whimpers she heard come from him and shut the door. Planting another magical seal on it, she turned to Kuron, “Please guard him. If he becomes restless a sleeping spell should do it.” 

“Yes, young mistress,” he placed a gloved hand over his heart. “When should we expect your return?”

Lady saw the last of the golden orb in the sky turn blood red just as it set below the horizon, leaving behind darkness in its wake. “Expect me at sunrise.” 

Kuron remained behind as he watched her wings and armor take place on her body. Filled with ethereal light, she flew off to the place that daemons spawned to take care of them, all by her lonesome. This was the deal she struck with Insomnia’s council in exchange for everyone else's safety. The familiar’s red eyes turned darker in shade and watched as the white light in the sky streaked further into the distance until it disappeared. 

“Mistress,” he spoke aloud. “I wonder. Is this what you wanted for her?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Take a look at human Umbra:  
> [No, seriously. This dude is hot.](https://imgur.com/a/luKJW)


	36. XXXVI

Sunrise hit her like a train, its bright lights assaulting her eyes as she squinted and raised her arm to block it. It was her fifth or sixth sunrise this time- but she didn’t know for sure. No one else but her was keeping count anyways. At her feet were countless bodies of dead daemons. Their eyes glassed over and tongues lolling out between their sharpened fangs, one was even clawing at her feet in some desperate attempt to reach her but she quickly withdrew her limb and brought it back down to crush its head.

Now all she had to do was wait for the next sundown. Flying up to a ledge, she collapsed onto the ground with an exhausted huff. Turning her head towards the Crown City, she balled her fist and launched a fire spell upwards, watching it explode into bright sparks that could be seen for miles. After a few minutes, she saw another fireball coming from one of the watchtowers and relaxed her hand. “Mission accomplished,” she huffed, curling her knees into her chest and putting her head down onto her arms. 

A growl jolted her from her solace and she looked up with sword in hand to greet a hound with scorching red eyes. Its black lips curled over its yellowed teeth, unhinging its jaws as it lunged forward to attack her. She jumped to the left, bringing her sword up to drag along its stomach and flipping it over to pin it to the ground. Usually daemons stayed lurking within the shadows, this one though.. She began calling them ‘day stalkers’. They were daemons mixed with the genetic coding of a monster, allowing them the ferocity and cunning of the former along with the immunity to sunlight of the latter. Courtesy of Deepground. 

She looked up to see more of the pack crawling towards her and she got ready to meet them head on. That is, until a flash of red caught her attention, followed by additional colors of silver and black. To her astonishment, in front of her stood Xemnas with his ethereal blades drawn. As he fought off the one that was about to attack her, she panicked, “Wait! Xemnas!” 

It was too late, a fireball launched from the hellhound’s mouth and seared across his arm. If he was in pain, he didn’t show it. From another corridor, his counterpart appeared, and Ansem quickly dispatched the daemons with an upward strike of magic-infused tendrils. As more and more daemons appeared, she grabbed both Xemnas and Ansem by the sleeves and pulled them through the gaping corridor. 

The corridor closed behind them and she didn’t see the group of tents that the refugees stayed at nor the towering skyscrapers of Insomnia. Instead, she saw a city shrouded in eternal darkness, a view that was visible from the height of the floating white castle in the sky. They were in the Organization’s old castle, in the World That Never Was. Taking Xemnas by the arm, she helped him down onto his old bed and saw the dust that arose when he made contact with it. 

“You shouldn’t have come for me,” she chastised him, zipping down his coat to inspect the wound closer. Upon seeing the seared flesh, she clicked her tongue loudly. “Fool.” She turned her scalding glare to his Heartless counterpart, “You as well.” 

Her hands ran over the wound on his upper right shoulder and casted a spell on it. With only the light of the stars outside to aid her in her work, she had to step closer just to see what it was that she was doing. It wasn’t long until she felt a hand snake around her hips and she relaxed when she realized it was only Xemnas’. “Be more careful. Being reckless is my job, you know.”

“He knows, he just wanted to see you,” Ansem replied from behind her. In that case, this means they both did as their feelings were interchangeable, something that was shared between them like twins.

“I’m flattered. But next time don’t throw yourself in the midst of battle,” the green light under her palm died down. Xemnas was gazing at her the whole time, his watchful, cold eyes looking into hers and for once she didn’t know what to do in this situation. Her hand caressed his face, feeling the sharp edge of his jawline before slipping down to pull his coat onto his shoulders. Of course she didn’t miss his abdomen, which was equally as chiseled as his facial features and she reminded herself that his body was partly shared with Terra. This applied to Ansem as well.

“Where’s your counterpart?” She asked him, referring to the young Xehanort before plopping down next to Xemnas on the bed. 

“He’s exploring the city you took refuge in,” Ansem took a seat next to her. “We’ve heard of the creatures that now stalk this world. A hybrid of darkness. We thought it best to investigate ourselves.”

She let her head fall onto Xemnas’ shoulder and closed her eyes. 

“Is something the matter?” He asked in that deep voice of his. 

“Nothing,” she murmured. “Just tired.” 

“There’s a bed right behind you,” Ansem suggested. 

“No,” she held Xemnas’ hand. “I want to stay like this. Just for a bit.” He shifted underneath her and she felt his coat wrap around her shoulders and the warmth of his bare skin hit her. Ansem started to move away, but stopped when she grabbed him by the hand as well and held him tight. The three of them stayed there for a while until she finally gave in to her fatigue and her head slipped from his shoulder to his lap. Xemnas picked her up carefully, laying her in the bed and moving the sheets so that he could slip in with her. She remained in the middle while he took her right side and Ansem took her left. Their combined warmth gave her the ability to have a nice dream for the first time in days.

*******

“Wow, this looks amazing,” Lady peered over Naminé’s shoulder, setting her coffee cup down beside her mug of paint water. “You’re super talented.” On a canvas was a painted image of wisteria trees with the city of Insomnia in the background. Purple flowers were the only set of bright hues against the otherwise monochromatic buildings. The level of realism she reached was almost surreal, as if the 30x40 canvas was actually a window where she could peer out of and smell the subtle floral scents. 

“Thanks!” Naminé set down her brush and smiled up at her, seeing the bags under her eyes. “You’ve been out all night, was it bad out there?”

“Nah, just wanted to make sure everything was cleared before I came back home,” she swiped at her corneas, feeling the calcified tears become abrasive to her fingers. “Don’t worry kiddo.” She fixed Naminé’s hair, brushing it back so the paint wouldn’t reach the pale blonde strands. “Maybe I shouldn’t call you that. Both you and Xion grew into fine young ladies after all.”

Naminé beamed up at her before turning on her swivel chair towards her. “Do you need anything?”

“Hm? What makes you say that?” 

She averted her eyes. “Nothing. Never mind.”

Lady shrugged, taking the mug back from the table. “Show me the painting when you're done, okay?" Taking a step away from the balcony, she saw something that made her pause and peered at the reflection in the mirror. She checked for bags, for spots, for the beginning of lines between her brows or framing her smile- but came up with nothing. Save for the dark circles. In the back, she saw the reflection show Xigbar and Emyd walk together and she quickly turned around to catch up with them. “Hey,” she called and they stopped. “How do I look?”

“Cute as always,” Emyd gave her a thumbs up and she shook her head. 

“Not what I meant. Do I look any older? I know it’s been only two years, but-” she bit her lip, hoping they could fill in the blanks for her.

“Nah, you look like you didn’t age a day!” 

Xigbar saw how her face fell at his comment and kicked Emyd’s foot. “What do you want us to say, princess?”

“I don’t want you to say anything,” she sighed. “I just want the truth.” 

“I don’t get it, the truth is that you look young- ow!” Emyd yelped when he got kicked again while a storm brewed on Lady’s face. 

“Heya, whatcha guys talking about over here?” Lea walked up to them. 

“How does Lady look? From the past two years?” Xigbar asked him. 

“Hm,” Lea studied her face carefully, tilting his head to see all of her angles. “Like you haven’t changed much really.” At this, she seemed even more distraught. 

“Babe, it’s been two years. You’re not gonna see much change in growth spurts in that amount of time,” Xigbar reassured her. “What are you so worried about? You think being stuck in that Dragon’s little crystal realm stopped you from aging or something?”

“Something like that,” she bit her lip.

“Well.. You did kinda, you know.. Die.”

“I know that.” Her finger picked at the bottom of her shirt. “But if I didn’t change at all when I was with him-” she picked up strands of her hair to show them, “-then my hair wouldn’t have grown either. When I came out of there though, my hair was down to my thighs. How do you explain that?”

“I dunno, eternal youth- hey! Stop hitting me!” Emyd rubbed the spot where he was punched while throwing Xigbar an accusatory look. Lady gave them all a tight-lipped smile before she turned away to exit the common room. “What?!” She heard Emyd exclaim. “I thought women liked being told they looked young??”

“God, you’re an idiot,” Xigbar pinched the bridge of his nose with one hand. Their banter was interrupted as Naminé gasped loudly from the balcony and ran full speed into the room with her eyes frantically searching the perimeter. 

“Lady, nooooooo!!!” She screamed loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. “Don’t drink that!!” In her hand was another mug of steaming coffee. Lady, though, had her mug already to her lips and drinking the contents. “That’s paint water!!” 

*******

There was no other place she could think of to stay besides Noctis’ apartment. Here it was quiet and cool, with no noise to bother her. Of course, except for the prince himself. But he had things to do today, and she wanted to take advantage of this while time permitted. A towel covered her wet hair while a shirt and nothing else concealed her damp body. Scrolling through the local news, she held her breath and released when she saw no mention of her name. _This was good._ Leaving the news on at a level acceptable as white noise, she got up to get a drink from the fridge and froze when she heard the front door unlock. Through the opening she saw a mess of dark hair and realized it was none other than the apartment’s owner.

Noctis seemed just as surprised to see her, his eyes becoming round before relaxing. “Hey,” he greeted her. “Didn’t know you’d be here.” 

“I wanted to be alone,” she set the canned drink down, which was just a container of Ebony. Originally it was Ignis’ stash, but she was given special permission. “How is it out there?”

He shrugged. “Busy,” he eyed her attire, cleared his throat and looked away. “We, uh, set up tents. Gladio helped, of course. I just came to play some video games before we have to help again. Wouldn’t wanna step foot inside the Citadel with how crazy it is right now.”

Lady blinked, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly and she rounded the counter to follow Noctis. After closing the blinds, he discarded his jacket on the couch and went to the television to turn on his console, he was surprised when he turned around and she was standing right behind him. “Uh-?” He backed up until he felt the wall behind him and she slammed a hand beside his head. 

“Stop playing around,” she growled. “When are you going to give it to me?”

“G-“ he swallowed, “give what?”

“I know our little games, where we flirt and such.” Her head tilted as her eyes bore down into him. “And while they’re enjoyable, I’m not in the mood right now. So stop playing coy and hurry up.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m talking about the Infernian, dammit!”

“What makes you think I have Ifrit? I’ve been helping _you_ get the summons, remember?”

It was then her hand relaxed and she had a look of embarrassed unease on her face. “Noctis?”

“Yeah.. Who else could it be?”

“Oh.” Her hand dropped down in shame. “I- sorry. My bad.”

“What was that all about?” 

“Nothing,” she covered up her failings with a smile. “Sorry.” Stepping away, she took the drink from the dining table and tilted her head back to drink. The sweetened iced coffee slid down her throat and covered up the heat she felt. Though she soon felt Noctis come up behind her, his hands trapping her against the edge. 

“When you said to ‘give it to you’, I thought you meant something else,” he whispered to her. Timidly, he raised his hands to her hips and held her there. When she stopped drinking, he leaned forward, “You should finish that. Specs would be mad if his Ebony was wasted.”

Agreeing, she tipped the rest of the contents into her mouth and when the last drop hit her tongue, she felt his hands slide up ever so slowly. “Noct..” she knew what he wanted. She could _feel_ it against her ass. “We shouldn’t…”

“Why not?”

The can gave a dull ring when she set it down. “You’re going to be king. You shouldn’t waste your time with something like this, with someone like me.” She turned around, giving him a sympathetic smile as she did. “You should stop while you’re ahead.”

“What if I don’t want to stop?” His eyes burned with something fierce and she saw the fire get ever closer as his face inched towards hers. She leaned back, until she found herself pressed against the table surface and trapped by his body and arms. Strands of hair fell over his face and she instinctively reached up to brush it away, then watched as they only dropped again. 

“Noct,” she called his name softly. “We can’t. You’ll be king-“

“I don’t care about that!” His voice raised and she saw the frustration create a crease above his brow. The frustration that came with putting on a face every time he was doing something in the name of progression for his kingdom. A facade he wanted his city to believe that their prince was a capable one. “I only want to hear you say it.” 

Her fingers curled through his hair, “We shouldn’t get too close. It might be dangerous.”

“Stay with me then. We’ll make something work.” There was hope in his eyes. A shimmering blue sparkle that hovered over the glassy surface of the signature Lucian sapphire irises. “Stay with me,” he repeated, quieter this time. 

“Noctis,” she sighed, her hand sliding down his chest. 

“Let’s make this work,” he leaned into her touch, eager for her hands to explore more of his clothed body. She could smell the remainder of sweat on his skin from toiling to help the refugees, it contrasted with the floral-scented body wash that hovered over her flesh. Noctis seemed to run out of patience, as he dove in to kiss her. Pressing his lips against hers softly and only when she pushed back did he deepen their kiss. 

His hand slid from her waist to her thigh, bringing it up and groping her ass. When he squeezed her, he groaned into her mouth and she found it cute that such a small act would elicit such pleasure. Their tongues swirled over each other’s; his left hand gripping onto hers with fingers intertwined while the other worked on bringing up her leg to wrap around his waist. Saliva dribbled out the sides where their lips connected and after a few minutes, he pushed himself up. The tips of their noses touched as they panted for air, staring into each other’s eyes while they caught their breath. 

“Can I..” he lifted the hem of her shirt. “Can we..?” After carefully deciding, she nodded, and to her surprise, watched as he quickly retreated to his room. Getting up on her elbows, she saw him come back with a box in hand and immediately knew what it was. He saw her eyeing it and cleared his throat, “This was just in case. They said I might ‘experience’ these urges in high school.”

“Were you sexually active in high school, Highness?” Her smile was lopsided. “Did you buy those all by yourself?”

“Specs did.” 

“Is this your first time?”

“Uh, nah.”

“Hm.” It was an unconvincing lie. “Alright. Put it on then.”

Noctis ripped open one of the packets, tossing it aside and fumbled to take off his pants. His belt buckle jiggled and he seemed to be flustered as she watched him do so. When he was free from his pants, his cock spung forward and he positioned the rubber to the tip. 

“Do you need help?” She asked as he saw him attempt to slide it down with slight clumsiness. Maybe he was eager. Maybe he was a virgin. 

“Maybe,” he admitted and inhaled sharply when she took him into her hands. Her fingers wrapped around the width, sliding it down and he gripped her shoulders at the sensation. “I’ve been dreaming about this for a long time,” he gasped when her finger slid over the midline of his scrotum. 

“Oh?” She leaned forward to glide her tongue over his neck. “When was the first time you fantasized about it?” 

“It was a dream,” he mumbled through her kisses and nips. “After we rescued Vincent, when we stayed at the apartments.. I had a dream in the Regalia.” His hands reached to cup her breasts, reliving the night where his mind made him think she was bouncing on his cock in his dad’s car. “We fucked until you woke me up.”

“And how do you feel about now?” A twitch of his tip was her response and she leaned back. “Alright. Whenever you’re ready.”

Noctis saw his dick covered with the condom and felt his heart race. He would finally be able to make his dream a reality after all these years. Guiding the head, he navigated to find her entrance and pushed in. He missed and slid it upwards against her clit harshly, making her hiss with pleasure. Doing it again, he missed the mark yet again and she guided him herself. “Further down. Like this, okay?”

When he felt the opening of her pussy swallow the head. He felt a sense of euphoria that would explode as soon as he shoved his cock into her without warning. Her mouth went agape as he started thrusting into her at a speed that caught her so off guard that she had to cling onto him to regain her balance. Likewise, he gripped onto her ass until the skin bulged between her fingers and would definitely leave a mark later. As her face turned up to his, he leaned down to kiss her again all the while rutting against her harshly. There was no true technique to his method, but what made up for the lack of experience was the eagerness in his movements. She wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling every stroke of his glans hit her, eliciting a whimper each time.

When their mouths separated again to come up for air, a string of drool connected them before disappearing into another kiss. A quiet grunt escaped the prince when she tugged on his hair and dragged her nails down his back. One hand slipped up her shirt and began fondling her breasts; with the shirt she wore being so baggy, she pushed his chest away to slide it over her head and reveal her naked body to him completely. His eyes shimmered at the sight and he resumed thumbing her nipples while his lips found hers.

“I’m gonna cum,” he said through strained breaths. 

“You can cum inside,” she assured him. The condom would catch his heir. With a few more strokes, he finished off and she felt the condom bulge inside as it filled with hot seed. He leaned against her while his legs went wobbly, his hands still squeezing her ass and breasts. Slowly, he slipped his dick out from her and retrieved the full condom. She took it from his hands, tying a quick knot so that the contents wouldn’t spill and made sure he saw how she did it. “So it doesn’t fall out,” she murmured and he took it from her. 

“I haven’t cum this much in forever,” he said. “Not even when I do it myself.” 

She chuckled, somehow finding it cute. “Do none of your city’s girls catch your interest?” 

“Nah, I’m not really into them,” he admitted. “But Gladio always told me to find a girlfriend to practice for when I want a queen,” his hand wrapped around the back of her neck. She noticed his cock stiffened again at the idea of finding one to take his side by the throne and she palmed it while he eyed her dripping cunt. “I’m still not satisfied.”

The responsible woman in her should’ve urged him to stop- but she didn’t. A twitch from his cock urged her to respond quicker and she nodded. “Alright.” After placing another condom on, Noctis slid her down from the table, urging her to turn and bend over the surface. But he didn’t insert himself inside. Instead, she felt fingers open the folds of her pussy and she felt embarrassed exposing herself to him like this. “What are you doing?” she whispered and bit her lip when he stuck his finger inside in experimentation. 

“You’re so wet,” he murmured. “I did this?” 

“Don’t flatter yourself, Highness,” she bit down harder when he stuck another finger in. 

“You sure it isn’t because of me?” There was a smugness to his voice and even if she couldn’t see his face, she knew there was a smile on it. He withdrew his fingers and immediately landed a slap to her ass, making her jump forward in surprise. “Sorry,” he laughed. “Always wanted to do that.” 

“You having fun back there?” She yelped as his hand slapped her ass again, noticeably harder than last time. “Fuck- Noct!” 

“Am I having fun? Actually-” he positioned his head to her opening, “-I’m having a fucking blast.” He thrust inside, with as much force as his slaps and she let out a throaty moan that only encouraged his rough pace with her. He gripped her ass, sliding it up and down his cock as he focused on the way she bounced on him and the sounds she made. His dark hair stuck to his forehead in sweated clumps and he even felt a drop slide down the bridge of his nose as he continued to fuck her. He wondered when it got so hot in his apartment, but paid no attention to it as he switched the position. Bringing her leg up over the crook of his arm and pounding away like that for a bit before he decided he wanted to try yet another position. 

Reluctantly, he pulled out and grabbed her, pushing her onto the couch on her back. Positioning himself to be on top, he shoved himself inside and fucked her against the cushions. His thumb slid between her lips, making her suck on it and he saw the way her eyes were half-lidded and how her lashes fluttered over the tips of her cheeks every time he buried his length inside. That look alone was enough to send him over to the edge and he felt another orgasm coming as he finished with long, languid strokes until he spilled into the condom again. 

“Shit,” he panted, slipping outside of her and seeing that he filled the rubber with another surprising load. Meanwhile, her breasts rose and fell as she put an arm over her eyes to try and recover from her high. Noctis tied the condom off, surprised to see that he was still hard despite cumming twice now. But his body didn’t lie, he still wasn’t satisfied. Looking down at her naked body, a thought struck him. A thought that was quickly encouraged with dangerous desire. 

He wanted to feel her without a condom. 

Taking his cock, he positioned himself again. 

“Noct..?” She still didn’t take her arm off her eyes. 

Without another warning, he took the plunge and immediately felt the sensation of warmth that was unadulterated. A strained moan left him. He felt like he was melting inside of her. And _fuck_ , did it feel good. 

Finally glancing down, she saw him begin to thumb her clit and whatever words she wanted to say was cut off as she bit back a squeal when he squeezed. With the way she convulsed around him, he squeezed it harder and grunted as her walls tightened even more. Only one thing could make this better. 

Leaning down, he kissed her and in response she wrapped her legs around him, deepening his thrusts and connecting them closer than before. _“Whatever you do,”_ she wanted to say to him. _“Don’t get attached.”_

Noctis had a hand wrapped around her waist, bringing her up against him and kissed down the length of her neck. He treated her so delicately in all places except her cunt, to him this was something to be savored and relished. 

_“Don’t get attached to me, Noct.”_

He couldn’t get enough of her lips, and she couldn’t stop herself from arching her back into him and grabbing a handful of his hair that always seemed to be messy. The way he kissed her was reminiscent of a man who tasted water in a drought. It was almost skillful with the way his lips and tongue worked on hers to carefully elicit lustful thoughts. She wondered if he had done this before. 

_“Whatever you do…”_

A high-pitched whine echoed from her lips as he slammed his length with rougher strokes. He murmured her name, and she his. Nails went down his back, leaving red welts in their wake. 

_“Don’t fall in love with me.”_

Noctis let out a shameless moan as he pulled out. Strings of cum shot up from his tip, staining her stomach, breasts, and face. After admiring his handiwork, he collapsed on top of her; doing so in between her legs and burying his face into the crook of her neck. One of his hands reached down to intertwine his fingers with hers and they lay there, letting their highs ride to a soft low. 

“That was..the best,” he mumbled against her skin. She smiled, patting down his hair as he tickled her skin with his breaths. “I think I wanna take a nap now.”

“You’re lying in a pool of your own cum, Highness.” 

“Who cares,” came another mumble. “I’ll clean up later.” 

“You need to shower.”

“Will you shower with me?” 

“You’ll just try to fuck again, won’t you?”

“Would you let me?”

“Don’t push your luck.”

“You seemed fine with me pushing it earlier.”

Reaching up to his hair, she playfully yanked a strand. “Smartass.”

He laughed, the feeling tickling her skin further. “Hey.. Thank you for this. I really, really, reallyyyy..hmmph..” The last of his words were mumbled and incoherent with the remaining bits drifting into silent snores. She smiled, stroking his hair and holding him while he hugged her back, treating her like she was his own personal pillow. 

She was glad he was asleep. And she was glad he couldn’t see the tear that slipped from her eye and down her cheek. 

*******

Ardyn saw a man in black standing underneath the shade of a wisteria tree and approached him against his better instinct. The man in question turned his searing red eyes towards the other and frowned. “Adagium,” Kuron smiled, though anyone could tell it was faked beyond comparison. “To what do I owe the pleasure to the _true_ king of Lucis?” 

That insult wasn’t missed, but he let it pass. “What’s a lapdog like you loitering around a place like this?” 

“I could ask the same, but it seems we’d both have the same answer,” Kuron reached into the folds of his coat to retrieve a silver pocket watch. “It’s been some time. I must take my leave soon.” 

“Tell me- is your previous mistress really dead?” Ardyn tilted the tip of his fedora down so that it covered his face from passer-bys. “It would explain how desperate she is to get the summon I own.” 

Kuron’s smile diminished for a second. “I’m sure by now you’re aware of the one rule of the stars that cannot be broken.”

“That only a god can kill another god,” he said. “What of it? Despite the Infernian being within my employ, I doubt he alone could take on the king of Astrals himself.”

“You’re right,” Kuron eyed him carefully. “He can’t. He couldn’t even get close enough to try.” 

“What do you propose then? What’s your plan to finally rid us of this winged menace that tortures our destinies?” he spat those words out as he remembered the ultimatum he was given by Bahamut thirty long years ago. To fight against the fate he was given and live an age and beyond, only to never feel the sweet relief of death; or die the sacrificial lamb for the ‘King of Kings’ to slay him and rid the world of his supposed darkness. 

Kuron pondered on this, inhaling the perfume of wisteria blossoms before continuing. “I’m sure you remember the incident where my young mistress had her heart stolen from her body, yes?” Ardyn went quiet as he listened. “I’m also sure you know of the _circumstances_ of her birth by now. 

“To be half-human and half-Astral. It’s nothing short of a marvel.”

“A mistake,” Kuron corrected him. “Now my mistress must suffer the same fate as her predecessor.. But yes, she is nothing short of a pure miracle. Her body and soul are far different than that of a mere human. Hence why she didn’t get split into a Heartless _or_ a Nobody when she was struck with a Keyblade all those years ago. If it wasn’t for the Jenova cells clinging onto its host, you would’ve witnessed the birth of a new god.” 

“A wondrous sight to behold I’m sure.”

“Wrong again,” he sighed. “The birth of a god is- how should I say.. _Destructive_. The power their soul will emanate is similar to that of a dying star. Everyone within the vicinity of a couple hundred miles would feel the effects while those caught in the radius of the blast would immediately turn to ash.”

Ardyn glanced up in thought. “That’s the price then. A heart in exchange for the power of a god." 

“It is not so easy as sacrificing your soul to obtain it,” Kuron grimaced. “But my young mistress is exceptional. If she wanted to, she would no doubt gain powers beyond that of her own mother.”

“Is that so? Then why is it that you haven’t suggested this course of action?” 

“..I have not told her and I prefer to keep it that way,” he muttered under his breath. “To become an Astral, she would consign herself to an eternity of loneliness. When this world falls and when all of the stars in this universe dies, she will remain. Only she, and she alone. I do not wish that fate upon her.” The doors to the apartment complex slid open and they both saw Noctis and Lady step out. “She would be free to love,” Kuron continued, his eyes watching his mistress. “But what would be the point? She would only watch her chosen person die along with her children, then her grandchildren. Perhaps even her great-grandchildren and so on and so forth, bringing upon generational heartbreak.” 

Ardyn’s jaw locked when he saw Noctis stop, pulling Lady into the shade of the building by her waist and planting a kiss on her lips. They remained there for a moment, concealed by the dark, with the prince carefully caressing her hair until they separated. On their eyes was a look of longing and he could tell by the flustered pink on her cheeks of the activity they just finished doing. It was enough to make his mind darken with unsavory thoughts. 

Kuron caught this and chuckled to himself. “Well well, has hell frozen over? Ardyn Lucis Caelum, are you perhaps infatuated with my young mistress?” He placed the pocket watch back into his coat. “Take heed that killing the young prince would only satisfy Bahamut and ensure you suffer for a very, very long time. I suggest you find another way to exact your revenge.” 

“Don’t speak to me of revenge.”

“Or what?” The crow scoffed loudly. “You will kill me? I would offer the same threat but to speak of the wonders of death to each other would be futile.”

“What would you have me do then, O wise familiar?” He retorted with just as much sarcasm. 

“That is up for you to decide.” Before Ardyn could retaliate, he realized he was left alone as an array of black feathers floated to the ground and a large crow took flight above. Ardyn watched the feathers disappear into black smoke before hitting the ground and decided to follow Lady. 

It didn’t take long for her to notice and she whipped around with her lips forming a name. “Nocti-” she stopped immediately when she saw who it really was and she swallowed her nervousness. “What is it?” 

“Have you possibly forgotten-” he pulled her into an alley, pushing her against the wall and concealing her body with his, “-who you belong to?” 

“I don’t belong to anybody,” she hissed, aiming to shove him back but was met with much resistance. “Go away.” 

“Has that little cur enchanted you already?”

“Stop talking about Noctis like that,” she struggled under his grip. “You don’t know him.”

“And neither does he know you,” Ardyn growled. “But I do. On a far more intimate level than he _ever_ would.”

“Oh, actually, I think we got intimate enough in his room,” she snapped and saw his eyes darken with rage.

Grabbing her by the cheeks, he held her there until he could feel the smooth outline of her bone right underneath the skin. “You test my patience, my dear.”

“I don’t care,” she ripped her face from his grip and knocked him back. Though she wanted to say more, she decided against it and stormed off, the post-coital glow completely replaced by irate anger. 

Ardyn could only watch her go, a part of him wanting to grab her by the wrist and erase the young prince’s kiss right off her lips. Though he stopped just to wonder what emotion it was that he was experiencing. A noise came out of him that sounded like a laugh, albeit hollow and dull. Why was a man like him acting like some scorned school boy? 

*******

A knock at the door caught Lady’s attention and she called for whoever it was to come in. The door opened and shut, followed by the sound of footsteps across the grand floor of the Citadel. She was given Onna’s previous room and she took it with great hesitancy. From the view though, she could see the hotel where most of her friends stayed under special permission by the king. For that, she should at least be grateful. 

Kuron’s figure came into view and she turned away where her exposed chest wouldn’t be seen. “Something the matter?” She asked. 

“None at all,” he stopped, averting his eyes in respect to her nudity. “...May I?”

At first she didn’t know what he wanted, though after seeing his hand that was level with the buttons she needed to close, she gave him her consent. Kuron’s hands got to work on buttoning her shirt with the deftness of a professional. He stopped when he saw one of the buttons were almost loose. “This won’t do,” he shrugged the shirt off of her. “I’ll mend this.”

“It’s alright,” she insisted. “It’s almost sundown anyways, I’m going to head out soon.”

Kuron refused to hear what she had to say and procured a needle and thread seemingly from thin air. Sitting on a chair, he began sewing the loose button. “If you’d be so kind to grace me with your presence, my lady, take a seat next to me.” She did so, pulling up beside him in nothing but her bra and pants. “Are you still shy of me seeing you like this?” He asked her without looking away from his work. “If so, don’t be. I used to dress you as a child, don’t you remember?”

Lady took a moment to reminisce of the days she used to wear attire similar to Yuna and her mother. “Those _obi_ knots.. Those were your handiwork?”

Kuron has a faint smile on his lips. “Did you really think you made those complicated knots by yourself when you were but a child? I also know your favorite songs, bedtime stories, and what you’d like for dessert.”

She closed her eyes. “You were there for me when mom wasn’t, right? I remember someone being there beside me.” Flashes of a thunderstorm became apparent in her head, followed by a large crow at her window, flapping its wings and watching her before it took off, only to bring her a bundle of flowers to soothe her. Then another memory surfaced, of the same crow moving her cradle back and forth with its talons. Somehow, she remembered it like it was yesterday. “You brought me flowers every time I was sad. Every time I missed her.”

The button was finally sewn completely and he motioned for her to get up. Placing the shirt over her shoulders, he circled around as he worked on dressing her. “If you remember that far back then that means one thing.” His eyes then looked at her chest, in the midst of her sternum. The same glow he had in his irises mimicked the one on her skin that seemed to surface the longer he concentrated. At last, a red mark with the outline of a butterfly appeared on her skin. Its delicate wings were slightly torn and when he lifted his hand, the butterfly took flight and rested on his palm. “Observe. It held on for so long that the seal has been naturally weakened.”

“Did she put that on me?”

He nodded. “Has it ever rained when you were sad? Thundered when you were frustrated? Has the ground and buildings shook when you were enraged?” 

She thought about it. “People get sad whenever rain hits, don’t they?” That was all of the excuses she came up with it. All of the things he listed sounded familiar, but she chalked it up to the fact that her emotions got the better of her at the moment. 

“But other people’s emotions don’t affect the weather like yours do, mistress,” he watched for her reaction to know when to stop. “That’s why this seal is here. Not for your protection, but for the rest of the world. But it seems it also inhibits some of your other Astral-worthy qualities.” 

“Like?” 

“Memory, senses- right now you’re only at half-capacity.” 

“Could you take it off?”

“I could. _If_ you learn to control your powers. I have complete faith that you can, but now is not the time to experiment.”

“If you took the seal away, would it be enough to kill Bahamut?”

Kuron’s silence was telling and he almost seemed sad telling her. “No. My apologies. No human would ever match your prowess, but you still would be lacking in comparison to him. Also, I don’t possess the power to place another on you. So once it’s done, it can’t be taken back.” 

“Oh.” That was a massive disappointment. “Do you know of any way I could be on equal grounds?” 

He shook his head. “Another time, mistress. Shouldn’t you be taking your leave now?”

“Right,” she opened the door to exit and felt a weight on her right shoulder as Kuron took place there in his crow form. Descending down the elevator, she didn’t miss the way the Glaives looked her way and whispered. Words including ‘killer’, ‘orphan’,and ‘strange’ were some of the adjectives being used in their gossip, but she paid it no mind. Once she was out of the Citadel, she backtracked. “Gotta report to King Regis first,” she told her crow as she remembered the incident with Xemnas, “some daemons can use powerful magic now.” 

To the left of the Citadel was training grounds reserved for their soldiers. However, some of Midgar’s own took to training there to combine their styles to protect the city. There, she saw Cor, Gladio, and King Regis talking amongst themselves. Along the way were a couple private training rooms, which one of the doors opened to reveal one sweating Lunafreya. They both made eye contact and Lady paused to pay her respects. “Princess,” she greeted her. “Good session?” 

“Yes,” Luna smiled. “Though I’m afraid I’m not as proficient in the way of the blade as you.” 

“I joined the military, Princess Lunafreya, I had the privilege of training. Keep at it, I’m sure you’ll be just as good.” When Lady bowed her head, Luna stopped her. 

“I should be bowing to you,” Luna said, then catching herself on what she was saying, eyed the crow with apprehension. “My apologies, I’m not sure if you knew.”

“No,” she sighed. “I know. And I guess you do too, huh? Don’t bother with the formalities, I’m sure the others would like it though.”

“In my practices as Oracle, I was always taught to respect the Divine.”

“Honestly, do I look like one of the ‘Divine’ to you? It’s okay. I rather you just address me as a friend more than anything ” She grinned and was glad to see Luna relax the slightest bit. “I gotta go report to the King. I’ll see you later, alright?” 

“May I go with you?” 

She nodded, the both of them walking side-by-side until Cor spotted them. “Any news?” he asked once they were close enough for a private conversation. 

“Not good ones,” she rolled her tongue over her teeth. “The daemons know how to use magic now.” It was common knowledge that magic wasn’t something that was randomly awakened. It was either taught or you were born with the power; even if it was the latter, it still didn’t make it accessible to just anyone. If one subjected themselves to immense amount of training for the smallest fireball, they could still turn up fruitless if they couldn’t attune to the natural energies of the world. “Either someone’s teaching them, which I doubt, or they’re adding something to the ones they got in the lab.” 

Gladio’s brow furrowed. “You said Deepground were the ones that made those things. What kind of things do they have stored in their labs?” 

“Genetic material perhaps? Of different creatures?” Cor added. 

“Oh sure, a bunch of them,” she said. “Not just creatures. Humans too. The ones they find ‘exceptional’.” 

“Wouldn’t they have some of yours stashed then? You and the other SOLDIERs?”

“Possibly, only of the Firsts.”

“How much trouble should we expect if these hybrids somehow got melded in with _your_ DNA,” Cor asked her. 

“I’d tell you to get ready to be in it for the long-haul. Given my..” she eyed Gladio briefly. The only one who didn’t really know about her. “Nature.”

“I’ll tell the Glaives,” Cor muttered, turning away and taking out his phone as King Regis looked to Luna. 

“You should be inside, Lunafreya,” his words were well-meaning, but the princess wouldn’t have any of it. 

“I wish to train.” 

The king’s smile faltered. “Your brother doesn’t approve of this, you know. I rather not see him get any more disgruntled than he already is.”

“Ravus is an adult, as am I,” Luna remained steadfast. “I can do as I please without him as my handler.”

Lady raised her eyebrows at Gladio, who returned something of an amused look at the tiny argument that was ensuing in front of them. Turning around, she watched the Glaives clear out of the courtyard and something small travel across the stone at an alarming pace. It was round and red. 

Her eyes followed it and immediately tensed when she saw the round, red dot travel up towards King Regis’ leg. 

Every part of her filled with adrenaline as she rushed forward, throwing her body in front of Luna and Regis just as a shot rang out and she felt a sharp pain go through her stomach. 

There was no time to cry out in pain, she looked down to see the angle at which the bullet hit her and called out the location. “Kuron- south side building, tallest in the vicinity!” The crow took flight in the direction she pointed him to and she kneeled, feeling blood seep through her fingers. 

“Are you alright?!” Gladio pulled her up and saw the wound. “That looks really bad.”

“It's fine, I felt it go clean through,” she said through gritted teeth. “Get them out of here!”

“But-”

“Your duty is to the crown!” She barked at him. “Not me! So do your goddamn job!” 

“Fucking hell, you’re stubborn,” he muttered before he and Cor rushed Luna and Regis out of the courtyard to find some cover. 

She staggered up, clamping her palm down on her wound as she watched the glare in the distance disappear in a swath of black feathers. That took care of the sniper- but there had to be more. A high profile assassination attempt always had more.

The courtyard was soon stormed by what initially appeared as normal citizens, but these ones were armed with weapons suited for trained militia. She found herself staring down the barrels of multiple guns. In her fist was a spell ready to lash out at them, watching their fingers kiss the trigger just as she arched her arm back to launch it. Before they could fire though, the world around her turned inverted in color as if a negative filter was placed on it. The breath in her throat caught and wasn’t able to push out of her until a hand slipped around her shoulder and tapped her there, feeling the pressure lift off of her body. A young man with silver hair appeared beside her, his eyes the same pale hue as his locks. 

“About time you showed up,” she remarked sharply and watched as he strode over to the assassins in a carefree manner, all of them frozen in time. 

“How did they make it in the city, I wonder?” Xehanort asked her as he used a finger to push one of their guns to a specific direction. "This city is carefully watched. So how?"

She thought about it and the dread of realization hit her. The Glaives and local militia always watched who had come and go within Insomnia and there was only one way in and out of the city to get to the rest of Lucis. None other than their own countrymen had come within the borders for a very, very long time- until they came of course. “The ships. They snuck in the ships.”

“Masquerading as scared citizens. A pack of wolves in sheep’s clothing,” he agreed, pushing another gun. “Now all that’s left to ask is what you’ll do about it?”

“I do what I always do.”

“The spell I used is only good for this area alone,” he said. “But there’ll be more. I saw them.”

“So you’ll buy me time?”

There was a smirk on his face. “Time can’t be bought nor bribed. But it can be stolen.” The world around them started returning back to its normal hue. “I would focus on finding the ones near your friends first.”

She was definitely going to take his advice, but something still struck her as odd. “Why are you here, why do you care?” 

Xehanort paused, his eyes going blank for a second then seemed to transcend to somewhere else entirely. After a slow blink, he had the faintest of smiles on his face. “I know what it’s like. To lose friends you care for.” The world snapped back into color and heard the sound of their guns going off. What followed next was those very soldiers dropping to the ground, as their barrels have been repositioned to fire at each other instead. Looking upon his work, he seemed pleased at the results before nodding. “Best hurry.” 

She wasted no time taking flight to the highest point near them, meeting Kuron whose gloves were stained red. His face had drops of it as well, splattered in a messy fashion across the bridge of his sharp nose. “My lady,” he greeted her when she landed. 

“Deepground attempted to assassinate the king, can we get any of the other familiars to scout for them?” 

“I’ll let the others know.” A cloud of crows then crowded the sky, almost completely blocking out the sun. “Godspeed, my lady.” Kuron changed into his animalian form, flocking amongst the others as the largest and spreading out over the city. After he departed, a corridor of darkness appeared behind her and she saw Roxas run out of it. 

“There’s Deepground soldiers! They were hiding as citizens this whole time!” he panted. 

“I know,” she said with bitterness lacing her words. “I’m going to deal with them. You and the others take the citizens and put them somewhere safe.”

He straightened up, his brows knitting together. “But how will we know which one we should take?” 

She pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes tightly shut. That was something that she didn’t even think of at the moment. How would they be able to identify which ones were innocent and which ones were infiltrating?

Nyx appeared in a cluster of blue warp light, his hood was pulled over his head to hide his face, but his build was unmistakable. “Hey I don’t know if you know this, but we have a problem. Cor sent me over to help.”

“Are all the Glaives in position?” she asked him. 

He turned his head to show the earpiece stuck in his ear. Something the Glaives use to communicate all throughout Lucis. “We’re ready when you are. But who’s our enemy?”

“The Midgar citizens they took in,” Roxas filled him in. “Deepground soldiers hid themselves to sneak in.”

“Are you fucking serious?” Nyx looked at her. “How do we know who to attack then? We can't just choose at random, they’re gonna get us before we could even know they’re coming!” 

“I know, I know, just let me think!” She paced back and forth, massaging the areas near her eyes. A thought then occurred to her and she looked up to the both of them. “The eyes. Look for the mako in the eyes!” Even to someone who never saw what a SOLDIER looked like before, the glow was unmistakable. That was the first thing someone usually noticed, that unsettling luminance to the irises. Deepground was just a splinter organization of the original SOLDIER program anyways.

Nyx nodded, holding a finger over his earpiece. “Any person sporting glowing eyes are to be put down immediately. I repeat, any one with mako eyes are to be put down immediately.” 

Roxas heeded her words, backtracking to his corridor. “I’ll let the others know!” 

After they made their exit, she ran to the ledge and looked at where they had their tents for the refugees gathered. It would have to be the most logical place for them to be and so she made her way over there. Unfortunately for her, the ensuing chaos on the ground made it hard for her to see who was who. One area was cleared though, and in the midst of fighting off Deepground soldiers, was Noctis. Landing, she made sure to kick one in the head and send him skidding across the ground. Kicking his rifle to Noctis, she didn’t wait for him to pick it up before sending her sword towards another. A chain of light formed in her hand with the other end connecting to the sword stuck in the soldier and she tugged, meeting him with a fist. 

Behind her, Noctis dispatched two more, throwing the empty rifle at another before warp-striking and knocking out a third. Bolts of lightning struck down the rest where they stood, their bodies shriveling up in response to the primal energy before collapsing. She rushed to the prince, holding him up by his arm. “You okay??”

He shook his head, “They have Prompto!”

“What?!”

“They tried to take me with them,” his voice was strained. “Prompto was with me, but we got separated. I couldn’t reach him in time-”

“I’ll go, you head back to the Citadel.”

“No way, I’m going with you!” 

“Noct, they tried to kill your dad. No doubt they’ll do the same to you.”

“Doesn’t matter. If you’re going, I’m going too. Also, I’m not leaving my best friend behind.”

Lady’s jaw locked. She already could see that he wouldn’t change his mind. “Fine.” They both made their way over through the crowds that rushed against them. Fighting against waves of people like this very well felt like fighting against the ocean itself. A hand slipped around hers and she looked back to see Noctis hold her close as to not get separated. Though when he brandished his sword, she had a better idea of what he was trying to do. Waiting until it cleared out a bit, he aimed his sword high, sticking it to the side of the building as both their bodies materialized into solids. With his hand wrapped around her waist, they dangled off with only his arm and sword supporting them both. 

Her eyes searched the crowds until she spotted what she was looking for. A head of spiky blond. That was unfortunately also surrounded by more soldiers. “There!” she pointed out his location. Noctis wasted no time kicking them off the building and aiming his sword where her finger directed him. They landed without much effort, arriving to see Prompto surrounded with only a single gun to defend himself. The soldiers saw them arrive and all of their soldiers changed their aim towards her. She had her sword in hand already, repeating an old adage in her head of ‘bringing a knife to a gunfight’ - but she liked her chances. 

The one beside Prompto urged him to charge her, and foolishly he did so. The outcome came out as well as one could imagine. 

“Come on, come closer,” she flicked the blood off her sword and eyed them. 

“Wait!” the one next to Prompto said. He had brown cropped hair, a lateral scar above his clavicle and cheek, as well as one across his crooked nose. “We wouldn’t be able to stand a chance against you. Instead..” he whistled and she watched in trepidation as they pointed their guns at Noctis and Prompto. “I gotta ask,” said Scarface. “Who do you care about most? We’ll take the other that you don’t choose.”

“You’re joking..” 

“We don’t joke around, miss,” Scarface nodded and she heard a gunshot behind her. Whipping around, she saw Noctis collapse onto his knees as a bullet grazed the skin of his thigh. Another gunshot echoed in front of her and she saw blood drip down Prompto’s face as a wound formed on his cheek. “Give us another wrong answer and next time the bullet will actually go into their skin. Now, put your sword away and hands up.” 

She dropped her sword and put her hands up by her head. 

“Good girl,” he purred. “Now- do you want to save the prince, or his friend here?” He lifted Prompto’s chin up with the barrel of his gun. 

“Lady,” Prompto swallowed when he felt the cold steel against his throat. “It’s okay.. You can pick Noct.” 

“What?! No, I’m not leaving you behind!” she cried. _Just give me a second, let me think of something.._

“Tick-tock, miss, we have a schedule to keep.”

“Lady,” Prompto called her softly. “Noct is the prince. We both know who has more value here, right? Who wants to keep a lowly peasant like me around, right? I’m not that important.”

“You are,” she bit her lip. “You’re important to me, dammit! Now shut up and let me think!”

“On second thought,” Scarface moved the barrel of the gun towards her. “I think we’ll make the decision for you.” Firing, the bullet grazed her shoulder and made an impact behind her. She turned to see it hit Noctis’ shoulder and she panicked as all the soldiers around him turned to riddle him with holes. 

_No_ , she ran towards them, _not again..!_ Summoning her sword back to her hand, she impaled two of them, taking their rifles and shooting at the others. They dropped to the ground just as she picked Noctis up and inspected his wound. Thankfully it went clean through, with no shards embedded into his flesh. She let out a sigh of relief that was made brief when the sound of a struggle got her attention. The soldiers dragged a screaming Prompto into the airship, he did his best to fight against them- but he was no match. 

“Lady!!” He exclaimed as she ran towards them. “Lady!!!”

Scarface saw her coming and she froze when the airship’s mounted guns pointed at her. They hummed and fired rounds after rounds at her as she raised a barrier around her and Noctis to catch the heat. Black smoke filled their environment and the airship lifted onto the sky, its blasters leaving a scalding trail that would burn them upon impact had her barrier not been up. As soon as the airship took off and no longer touched the ground, she turned to Noctis quickly. “You okay?!”

“I’m fine!” He held his shoulder with gritted teeth. “Go! Get Prompto!”

She took off after the airship, her wings carrying her over the turbulent winds left behind by the airborne vehicle. The mounted guns fired at her again and she ducked out of the way, firing lightning at the guns and watching them fall into the roaring ocean before. After a moment, the guns didn’t fire at her anymore and the back shaft opened to reveal Scarface and a gagged Prompto behind him. He took out something from behind his back, unplugged it with his teeth and tossed it towards her. Instead of exploding into a blast like she expected, a cloud of thick white smoke filled the air around her. It was so dense and opaque that she couldn’t see her own hands in front of her face. 

Though when she heard Prompto’s muffled voice scream for her, she knew something else was coming. 

A thick harpoon came from nowhere, appearing before her shortened field of vision and piercing her wings. Heavy chains followed and wrapped around them, crushing around the bones there and dragging her down from the sky. She fell from the heavy cloud, the world becoming clear again and seeing Prompto’s eyes never leave her until her vision was once again obscured. This time by the rolling waves. 

*******

A helicopter searched the ocean with Reno piloting and Rude sitting shotgun. In the back was Roxas, Lea, and Xigbar, their eyes watching the ocean for any signs of their missing woman. Xigbar squinted, then pointed at a spot of bloodied feathers on the ocean. “Hey, turn right over there!” 

When they were directly over the spot he pointed out, Reno gave them a thumbs up. “Who’s diving in first?”

“I don’t swim much,” Lea responded nervously. 

“Maybe not, but he definitely does,” Rude said as a body splashed into the water in a perfect swan dive. Lea turned around and poked his head out to see Roxas arise from the ocean with a limp body in his hands. A rope descended from the side of the helicopter and Roxas wrapped it around the both of them, giving a secure tug before they got pulled out of the ocean. Once back on the ship, Lea helped Roxas up while Xigbar pulled her in. Reno turned around and his face went somber. 

“That..doesn’t look good, does it?” Her wings, once pristine and white were red and bruised with purple splotches. Feathers were missing in patches while a gaping hole made a home in the midst of both of them. Of course, the chains were still wrapped around them, the flesh bulging out under the painful grip. 

Roxas carefully turned her on her back and pressed his ear across her chest. “She’s still breathing,” he sighed. 

Lea slipped behind her, picking up and surrounding her body in a hug with his legs on either side of her. His body began emanating heat and soon the blue tinge on her lips and fingers disappeared, returning back to their original color. Slowly, her eyes opened and she coughed sea water onto the floor in front of her. After wiping her mouth, she frantically glanced around her. 

“Prompto, where’s Prompto?!” 

Xigbar knelt in front of her, taking her face in his hands. “We’re going to get you some help. Right now you focus on breathing, okay?” She hadn’t noticed it before, but she had now as soon as his words settled within her. Pain made her swallow hard as she felt it root at her back and spread through her body like wildfire. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tucked her head into her chin and gripped onto her own ankles to stop herself from making any sound. 

“Can’t you fly any faster?” Roxas snapped. 

“Look kid,” Reno shot back with as much irritation. “We’re already running this thing on high capacity here. We can fly faster if we leave some weight. Wanna volunteer to jump off? No? Then shut up, I’m doing my best here.” The rest of the flight was made in excruciating silence until they got back to the city. Once they landed, Lea and Xigbar wasted no time helping her off while Roxas guided her wings off carefully. 

“Oh thank the gods,” Jecht muttered under his breath when he saw them. Beside him was Kuron and they both rushed towards them as she collapsed into his arms with her wings dragging across the floor. “Hey hey hey, kiddo. You okay?”

She gripped his forearms, “We gotta go after Prompto. My friend- they took my friend!”

“I know, leave that to us alright? We’ll get him back for you. We just need time-”

“He doesn’t have time!” She screeched, shaking him. “Prompto’s not a soldier, he’s not gonna last! We have to go now!”

“Look at yourself, you can’t even go anywhere!” Jecht barked, yet his eyes immediately softened when he saw her flinch at his tone. “I- look.. Sorry. You already did enough. Just leave this next bit to Auron, Braska, and I, okay kiddo?” he patted her head. “You need to rest now.” 

“My lady,” Kuron stepped forward. “If I may. Your wings need attention.” 

“There’s no use,” she replied, then laughed bitterly. “Necrosis is already seeping in, they’re just rotting limbs at this point.” 

“Is there really nothing we can do? Can’t we get Luna to heal her like she’s doing for Noctis?” Roxas asked. 

“The Oracle has potent healing powers, but only to flesh that hasn’t already set in decay.” Kuron replied with a sharp tone. “I’m afraid there’s very limited options left.” He worked on unfastening his belt and holding it towards her. “You’ll need this.” 

“What are you going to do..?” Lea asked as he watched her fold the belt and hold it between her teeth. 

Kuron looked up to all of them. “If you’ve a weak stomach, I suggest you take your leave. Sir Jecht, I’ll need your assistance.” 

“What are you going to do?” Roxas repeated as he watched her summon her sword and hand it to Kuron, though deep in his heart he already knew the answer. 

“C’mon.” Xigbar tried to pull him away. “We’ll wait for them back at the hotel.” 

“But-” Roxas protested but was pulled away as they summoned a corridor and pushed him through first, followed by the rest of the group and leaving behind only Kuron and Jecht. 

“Are you ready?” the familiar asked her. 

“I got your back,” Jecht held both her arms down at her side, his eyes filled with sympathy. “Don’t be scared to hang onto me, ‘kay?”

She nodded, biting down on the leather until the saliva turned bitter in her mouth. Her eyes squeezed tightly shut just before she saw the flash of her own blade rise above before cutting downwards swiftly. So swiftly that she almost didn’t feel it, but in the end, she did. She always did. 

*******

Subtle winds blew onto her legs as she buried her face in her hands. After a moment of silence, her head perked up and picked one of the flat stones at her feet. Arching her arm, she ignored the stinging pain in her back and threw it into the sea. As she watched the stone sink, she bit onto her lip and let out a scream that was muffled by the cloth of her hoodie. Picking her head up, she let out another frustrated cry that was no longer restrained. “Shit!!!!!” Another stone made its way into her hand and she chucked it into the sea with as much force as she could muster, though the resulting pain in her back hit her with a vengeance. “Gods damn you, Deepground!!!!”

Her blood was pumping in response to the anger that now made her heart pound loudly. Tears of rage filled her eyes and she kicked the dirt, placing her hands on her hips and did her best to inhale the cold air to combat the heat within her. 

“May I join you?” 

She gasped, spinning around to see King Regis gaze at her with empathy. “I-,” she felt her cheeks heat up. No doubt he had seen her miniscule display of rage. “Of course, please.” Motioning to the bench as if it were her own and not a public fixture, she took a seat beside him. 

“None of us blame you, you realize that?” he spoke softly and she almost wished he didn’t. 

“How can you not,” she swallowed. “I brought them here. Now I don’t know which of the refugees we can trust. I brought them to your city.” 

“You didn’t know.”

“That’s not an excuse. I should’ve done better.”

To her surprise, he chuckled. “You remind me of myself. I too blame myself for everything that goes on in this city.” From his pocket, he retrieved something wrapped in brightly colored foil and he handed it to her. Taking it, she realized it was a piece of candy. “Don’t tell,” he said with a wink. “It would be the death of me if the council knew of my fondness for sweets. Let alone that I keep some on my person at at all times.” 

“Like father, like son,” she tossed the candy into her mouth and pocketed the wrapper to throw away later. “You don’t know how many times Iggy and I used to hide veggies in his meals, lest Lucis’ next in line falls due to scurvy.” 

Regis laughed at her joke and she smiled, feeling a bit better than she did a few minutes ago. But that joyful feeling was quickly disposed of as she thought of something that brought her melancholic memories. “I envy Noct,” she whispered, leaning back against the cool wood of the bench. “He still has you. His father.”

“What would your father say, if he were here now?”

She shrugged. “Maybe the thing that he always told me before... That ‘the night is always darkest before dawn’, then maybe he’d hug me.” Another tear fell down her face and she was quick to wipe it with the back of her hand. “I miss him. I miss my mother.” 

After a few beats, an arm wrapped around her shoulders in a sort of half hug. It came with hesitation but after she relaxed, he felt encouraged and squeezed her ever so lightly. “Don’t worry,” he assured her. “The night is always darkest before dawn.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't be a dick in the comments. Honestly, if you don't like it, ask yourself: *Why Are You Still Here?*
> 
> Go frolic in a field and calm down.


	37. XXXVII

“May I come in?” Ignis heard a muffled reply before he opened the door to see a body wrapped up in sheets with the blinds closed. It was tactfully shaded, shielding everything with cool darkness. He sighed when he saw the tray he left earlier. Untouched, with the cloche not even lifted with mere curiosity. “You need to eat. Your strength won’t come back on it’s own.”

“Then tell that to my babysitters,” she huffed, throwing the sheets down. “Do they want to micromanage how much water I should drink by the hour too?”

“Sir Auron insisted I place a watchful eye on you.”

“Tell Sir Auron to shove it!” She lifted herself off the bed, with thin streams of daylight illuminating her body as she passed by the shuttered windows. “Why won’t they let me plan with them? Shouldn’t I be the one responsible?”

“Lady..” he started towards her and she veered away from his grip. 

“How is Noctis?”

Ignis’ brows settled and he pushed up his glasses before deciding to give her the good news. “He’s well. Your quick thinking saved you both.”

“My quick thinking got the Crown Prince shot and his best friend kidnapped while I let the city become overrun with the enemy,” she paced by desk, bare feet ghosting over the tile before a nearby chair became the object of her fury. It clattered to the ground as she swiped at it with her foot. “Useless, useless,” she whispered harshly between her teeth as she hugged herself. There was something to be said about crossed arms and how it looked like it conveyed aversive body language. But she just wanted to feel someone hug her, even if it had to be herself. 

Ignis approached her from the front, making sure she could see every step he was taking towards her. “Come with me,” he motioned and she inched forward ever so slightly. His hand hovered over her elbow, not touching but close enough so that she could sense he was there. They stood in front of the window, and he opened the blinds, catching the way she flinched at the sudden harsh light before drawing it back further. “Observe. What do you see?”

Beyond the window of her Citadel room, she saw the far reaches of Insomnia. Though it was supposed to be only eight in the morning, there was already the hues of sundown permeating throughout the horizon. She swallowed. “Daylight is running out?” 

“Look closer.” 

Squinting down below, she saw what he was referring to. People milling about the streets, Glaives and SOLDIERs alike were training together in the courtyard below, engineers were already working on constructing a stronger tower to allow radio waves to travel faster. “What about it?” 

“Only three people were harmed yesterday,” Ignis remarked. “You, Noct..and Prompto. Though out of the thousands you’ve brought, I say you did a marvelous job in keeping everyone else safe.” 

Her fingers dug into her palms. “It’s been a week, Iggy. What if Prompto’s.. What if he’s-?” She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. “He’s no soldier.”

“He isn’t,” he agreed. “But he has an earnest will. I’ve no doubt he will live through whatever it is he’s putting up with. “I’ve seen him do things you wouldn’t believe. Have faith in our boy.” Ignis observed the soldiers fighting and spotted Auron training them in the way of the  _ bushi _ , a traditional style used by warriors in Spira. “I must confess- there’s something that has been bothering me for a while.” He waited until she came into the light and from where the sun lit up her face, he noticed the discoloration where fatigue had taken its toll. Had there ever been a time where her face wasn’t affected by such tiredness? At this moment, he couldn’t remember. “That man we ran into a while back. The one who saved us before we could fall into the Archaean’s crater.. Who was he exactly?”

Lady bit her lip. She knew this was coming, she just didn’t know when and how to be ready. “Ignis. You trust me, right? You know I wouldn’t lie, right?”

“Of course.”

“Then listen closely,” she murmured. “But first, what do you know of that man?”

“Ardyn Izunia. Chancellor of Niflheim, a seat he held for about thirty long years.”  _ And yet _ , Ignis thought to himself,  _ he doesn’t look a day over thirty himself. _ “That’s all I’ve gleaned, I’m afraid. Records of him were slight if not gone altogether.”

“There’s a reason for that,” she closed the blinds to hide her face again. “That’s his first name, yes, but his last name..” A nervous look was thrown his way. “His name is Ardyn Lucis Caelum.”

If Ignis was shocked, he didn’t show it. But the way he stared at her told her of his true feelings that hid just underneath the surface of his calm facade. “Lucis Caelum,” he repeated. “Then that would imply he and Noct-”

“Are family,” she agreed. “Yes. The first seat of the Lucis line was to be decided between two brothers. In fact, you already know the name of the other brother, don’t you?”

“Somnus Lucis Caelum,” Ignis recalled Lucian history as if the script was embedded into his mind. “Then Ardyn would be the other.”

“Correct,” she nodded. “Though Ardyn was the oldest and had the right to the throne- until Somnus took it and his fiancèe away. His fiancèe, might I add, was Luna’s ancestor. Aera Nox Fleuret.” 

Ignis took it upon himself to lean against the wall for support. The flurry of information that he had just received was staggering to say the least. It was a tad bit outlandish, but he had no reason to think that anything coming from her mouth was a lie. “Where is he now, this lost king?” 

Deep breath. Exhale. “In the city as we speak.”

There was silence and she checked to make sure he was still there. She saw his jaw lock, unclenching before he could ask her what she expected. “And you know this how?”

“I’ve been talking to him,” she admitted in a faint whisper. “I consider him an ally.. Whether you do the same is up to you.”

“I’m sure there was a good reason for you to trust him,” he said, though regrettably there was a hint of disappointment to his voice. 

“We have a common enemy,” she said. “You know what they say about the enemy of my enemy.”

“In this case we’ve an uneasy alliance.” Ignis crossed his arms, “Have you told Noct?”

“I can’t imagine what his reaction would be if I did,” she said then shook her head. “What am I supposed to say? Ardyn isn’t particularly fond of Noctis or anyone in this city.”

“Except you, it seems.”

“It’s not like that.” Except it was. Ardyn, in some strange way, was attached to her whether she liked it or not. He would be there, like the shadow creeping at her back and the wind picking up hair. No matter what, Ardyn will always be there. “If you do decide to tell Noctis, I at least hope he won’t be upset at me.” 

“Who knows what his reaction will be, though I do wish you trusted us sooner.” His words cut her like a knife and she flinched at their meaning. He was right, of course he was. They were her friends. She should trust them. 

“There’s something else..” she gave him a side-eye, trying not to betray too much of her nervous demeanor. “It’s about me. I’m..”  _ Spit it out. _ “The truth is.. This may sound silly, but can I whisper it to you?” Ignis slid closer to her as she did the same. His back was turned to the window while she got on her tiptoes and held a hand close to her mouth. With his body tilting downwards to have her reach with much more ease, he blinked twice when the truth formed in between her lips and his ear. 

*******

“Uh, Iggy?” Gladio’s voice snapped the man out of his daze. “What’s up? It’s rare seein’ you so out of focus.”

“It’s nothing,” Ignis assured him. “A lot has happened, forgive me.”

“I don’t blame you,” he grumbled, rubbing his shut eyes with his fingers as he adjusted the towel thrown around his shoulders. “Been workin’ overtime since the raid. Cor’s been stricter than usual, you could practically sense the stress off that guy. Don’t even get me started on how Noct’s been acting too.. Dammit Iggy, you’re spacing out again.” Gladio frowned when he saw Ignis staring at something in the distance. Slowly, he followed his eyes and saw what object he was mystified with. 

Lady stood in front of the large wisteria tree that made its home in front of the Citadel. The largest, most grandiose in the city in fact. She had her hand on its trunk, staring up at it with her lips moving as if speaking to it. Closing her eyes, she rested her forehead on the trunk for what seemed like minutes before withdrawing to walk away. 

“She’s been acting weird too, but can’t blame her,” said Gladio. “Especially after that incident. Would hate to go through what she has to.”

“You don’t say..” Ignis remembered her words. If he wanted to, he could tell Gladio. But should he do so was the real question here. It wasn’t his truth to tell.. Though it was a truth that would effect everyone, and not just her. “How many Astrals are there?” 

Gladio frowned. “Six. C’mon, that’s like asking who the current king of Lucis is.”

“Six,” Ignis echoed before adjusting his glasses and looking at the man. “Are you so sure about that?”

“What are you trying to say? One of them had a kid or something?” 

Ignis remained silent for the rest of their interim. 

*******

“Zack. Zack, you awake?” 

The young soldier groaned and blinked to get the blurriness out of his light purple eyes. He sat up slowly, feeling an ache where the chains weighed him down to the bed. 

“How are you feeling?” Lady sat beside him with a washcloth in her lap. “Better, I hope?”

“If you can call it that,” he rubbed his face. “I keep hearing her- Jenova, I mean. Is this normal?”

“Yes, unfortunately.” After a pause, she adopted a much more pleasant tone. “...Do you want me to try and take back the Jenova cells?”

Zack looked up, his eyes filled with hope. If she did that, the pain and voices would stop. “But you would just have to suffer with that burden alone again,” he said. “This really sucks to have, but I don’t want you to go through it by yourself.”

The shock of being rejected ran through quickly in her nerves. Though it wasn’t unpleasant; rather, she found herself filled with envy. Zack always did things that benefited others, not for the purpose of the possibility of being anointed a hero- but because that’s just who he was. Someone who did the right thing, simply because it was the right thing. It was never a question for him. Stroking his cheek, she smiled, “Even after I forced this upon you, you still want to be such a good guy.” 

“You saved my life,” he reminded her. “If it weren’t for you, I’d be dead too.”

“Honestly, with that thing inside you? You’re better off just dying,” she mumbled. 

“Don’t say that. I’m grateful, really.” He closed his eyes. “That moment when I covered for you- I didn’t regret it one bit,” he opened his eyes again, a bit of the blue shining through when he looked at her sullen face. Taking her hand, he held it there firmly, “I meant what I said. Thank you for letting me be your hero.”

She intertwined her fingers with his. “You’re making this hard. Keep that up, and I might fall in love with you,” she added jokingly. 

“You make it sound like a bad thing.”

“It’s not for the reasons you think. It’s not for you,” she hesitated and withdrew her hand. “I’ll help you learn how to control Jenova. Maybe later I’ll teach you how to balance yourself when you fly. For now, just rest some more alright?” There was an uneasy silence between them before Zack’s eyes flared purple again. 

“Are you acting like this because of what you are?”

She frowned. “Excuse me?”

“I can see your memories,” he confessed. “Some of your past, and even of what you feel in the present. Like this morning. I felt your anger and frustration..and I remember what you said to that guy, Ignis.” 

The more he talked, the more her brows furrowed. It was only Ignis and her present for that conversation. Had Jenova’s cells really placed a link between them like this? If so, this was troublesome. But first she would have to test that out. 

“What am I, Zack? If you saw, then tell me.”

“You’re..” he squeezed his eyes shut as if recollecting. “Madame Onna was an Astral. And you- you’re half. But that seal that was placed on you, it wants to break so bad.” 

Lady sighed, the regrettable consequence of her choice being made more apparent. She cradled her head in her hand while balancing her body at the edge of the bed. This was definitely going to be troublesome. Zack scooted behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist and one across her chest while his legs trapped her in. He leaned close enough so that she felt his breath against her ear and whatever words passed through his lips were made intimate. “I could see other things too, y’know. Of you.. And Angeal, and Genesis, and Sephiroth. You like it when they use you.” He squeezed her tighter until her skin conformed painfully against the calcium cage within. “Would you like it if I did the same to you?”

“You’re not yourself.” 

“That’s why you don’t get into relationships,” Zack nodded, smiling at this newfound information. “You’re scared of attachment. Now you’re scared that you’ll be forced to watch them die, right? I saw all the men and women you’ve been with. Sex is the only form of intimacy you can stand without giving yourself away completely.”

“Control yourself, this is your first lesson,” she offered her support by wrapping her hand around his wrist. “Learn to control her.”

Zack grunted, then let out a string of unintelligible words before his head fell forward onto her back. After a while, she felt him take a deep breath. “Ugh.. Sorry. I didn’t mean to say those things.” 

“I know.” She knew that, but she still didn’t appreciate being read like a book. “I trust you’ll learn to keep her in control in the future.” 

His lips tickled her skin as he spoke against it. “What are you really so afraid of?” 

“The world,” she replied. 

*******

Ardyn saw her waiting at the city’s edge. Her back was turned to him with the sea’s air coddling her hair. She sat on a bench, taking in the elements without hindrance and looked to be enjoying the serenity. From the top hem of her shirt, he could see the beginnings of two silver scars shaped into a v- the remainder of her wings that she no longer possessed. Kuron informed him that they disposed of it, tossed it into a fire as she watched with a bleeding back and blank eyes. He imagined it was the same look she had on her face when she was just about at her wit’s end all those years ago.

The gravel gave away his position and she didn’t tense, but he saw her ears perk up. Slowly she turned to greet him, and there it was- the blank look in her eyes. As if a meteor could destroy them now and while she burned in the hellfire, she still wouldn’t give a damn. He had the very same look when he would stare at himself in the mirror sometimes. A look that warranted loneliness and despair.

He sat beside her and she didn’t move a muscle. “Are you prepared?” He asked. “Forging a covenant while in this state might not be the wisest choice, my dear.” Without speaking, she nodded. And without waiting for her to finally muster up a word, he turned towards her to take her face in his hands roughly. “Will you let your melancholy take you in so easily?” He whispered with hate. Perhaps some of that hate was directed at himself. “Are you that susceptible to be killed by your own solitude?”

As they joined together, the sun’s crown was being muddled by twilight. 

Her eyes shimmered at his words. “You don’t get to sit and wallow,” he continued, “your sadness won’t be the end of you.”

“What would you have me do?”

He relished the sound of her voice, running his thumb across her bottom lip. “Use your anger. Your years of rage pent up within you. Unleash it and use it to fuel your desires.” 

His thumb scraped by her teeth and she used that opportunity to bite on his skin until she drew blood. “If I do that- I won’t be able to forgive you for what you’ve done to me.” For all he’s wrought unto her, he wouldn’t expect her to. Not for all the scars he once inflicted on her as an enemy. Now? Now they were something different. Something he hated to admit. 

“Neither will I,” he felt the blood seep through his wound before feeling the sinews of his skin pull back together. “For making me become so infatuated with you, for diminishing all my other ambitions. So let it be as it is, I won’t forgive you, and you won’t forgive me.” Withdrawing his thumb, he smiled down at her, “But let it be known: that the rest of your tomorrow’s belong to me now. I was your past, your present, and now, your future.” 

In the horizon, the sun set and the both of them could feel the change in the wind. It was the last time they would see that warmth for a while. 

*******

Somewhere in a shadowy room was a chained up man who didn’t belong. He was taken against his will, left to the mercy of his captors. 

“Rise ‘n shine!” A hand slapped him awake. “C’mon now, didn’t expect us to keep you asleep that long, right?” 

“Wh-who are you..?” the prisoner coughed and immediately regretted it. His mouth ran dry, devoid of any moisture. “Where am I, you’re not-”

“Yeah yeah, it’s a new place. You got relocated to a bigger room, how lucky for you! The other guys weren’t getting anywhere with you, so we switched up the rooms. You’ll give us something good, won’t you?”

“You got caught up in the wrong place, at the wrong time, my friend,” another voice came from the darkness. The prisoner could only see their dark silhouettes and hear their voices as bright lights barred him from seeing anything else. Searing spotlights made him squint and this wasn’t the type of light that one could get used to for a while. “So, here’s the deal. We let you go if you tell us about your friends, how does that sound?”

“I can’t do that..”

“How about some motivation?” One of them held up electrical wires, zapping at the end as they kissed the tips and held it towards him. From where he was chained, the prisoner saw three silhouettes walking on the line where the light didn’t touch. “Tell us more about your friends and what they’re doing.”

“I told you, I’m not doing that- guh!!” Lightning lit up his nerves like fireworks. He choked on the saliva that was forced into stimulation as smoke rose up from his body after that first wave and he already felt nausea take over him. 

“Mm, not good enough.”

“I say we let him have another dose.”

“Same here, light him up.”

“Look at that- majority rules!” 

Another zap lit him up like a festival decoration and he let out a high-pitched scream. 

“Feeling talkative yet? Maybe you need more illumination to make your decision.”

“I’m not selling them out!” The prisoner thrashed against his binds. “There’s nothing you can do to change that!” He was stopped when he received a harsh backhand. 

“Stubborn, aren’t you? Hey, get the water.” One of them kicked a bucket down and the prisoner watched as the liquid seeped around his feet, soaking his bare skin completely. “Last chance, friend.”

“Fuck you- GAH!” In combination with the water at his feet, he felt the lightning all the more intensely as his limbs rattled out of control. Stars flashed across his eyes and he felt like he almost saw the lifestream before the intensity died down. Smoke arose from him in heavier plumes and he felt the gums in his mouth turn to cotton before the blood crackled within the skin. There was the smell of cooking meat that filled the room and he quickly realized it was coming from his own body. Then, to his horror, his mouth began to water. It had been days since he was given a proper meal, this was the only time he smelled something food-like that was being freshly cooked- even if it was him. 

“Make it easier for yourself. How about this: we give you food for every answer you give us, sound good?” To prove his point, his torturer took out an aluminum can housing mystery meat. At the sight of it, the prisoner’s mouth salivated more. “Looks like you want it.” He opened up the can and held it towards his face. Shamelessly, the prisoner’s eyes followed it like a hound, lips opened just to take up the vapors of the congealed stuff. To his disappointment though, he did not receive it, and instead watched as the contents were poured out in one disgusting cylindrical shaped block. It lay at his feet, slouched over until it melded with the dirty floor. Even then, it looked appetizing. 

“Lightning doesn’t seem to do much for this guy.. What about something else?” A ball of flame appeared in the darkness and he squirmed. “We’ll let you run off home if you tell us about their leader, who I’m sure is very, very precious to you.”

“Wait, wait no! Stop!... I’ll talk.. Please, just stop hurting me.” 

They clapped for him. In some sick, twisted manner, they congratulated him for selling out his loyalty. “Good boy. You’ll tell us everything, right?”

“..Yes” And so he told them everything he knew. Of every secret of the ones he called comrades, of every weakness in their stronghold and most importantly of all, of what he knew of their strongest warrior. Each word leaving his mouth added to the brand that made him a traitor, every secret worming its way from his tongue made him shake with fear. After this he wouldn’t be able to go home. They would make him an outcast, he would have to move somewhere far, far away where no one could see him. 

“Is that all?”

“Yes, please-” a knife stabbed him in the abdomen, curving upwards as his attacker looked him dead in the eyes with a bored expression. “I’m telling the truth, please!!”

“Just making sure.” The knife withdrew and drops of blood fell atop his mashed up food on the floor. 

“Now.. You’ll let me go, right?” he struggled against his binds again and watched them converse amongst each other. One of them turned up to look into the corner of the room. At first, the prisoner didn’t see anyone else, but after a second of focusing through the glaring lights he did. Though in the obfuscating darkness, he saw mako eyes and shivered.

“That good enough for ya?” One of his torturers asked. 

The person with the mako eyes stepped closer and closer until they came into the light. As soon as their figure became perfect in clarity, he prayed to all the gods above to save him from this place. 

Lady came forward, her hand slipping into the pocket of the one standing next to her. A tall man with a long ponytail and an eyepatch. From his coat pocket was a pack of cigarettes and she took one to place between their prisoner’s lips. Lighting it up with a snap of her fingers, she quickly withdrew and the rest followed her out. Before they left though, she kicked another canister down. Though instead of water, it smelled strongly of petroleum and crawled towards him in greasy, multi-colored trails. It stopped when it reached his feet, soaking them in the new, oily liquid.

“You can let yourself go,” she told him before slamming the door shut. 

Then he understood why she lit the cigarette for him. 

*******

“Nasty business that,” Lea remarked as the shack they took the Deepground soldier to exploded into flames. “Why do I always get stuck with the icky jobs..”

“I don’t remember partaking in this sort of activity since the Organization,” Isa said as he watched Lea spark up a cigarette. “When have you started smoking?”

“Just this once,” Lea assured him. “I feel tainted. Reminds me of the assassination contracts you set me up with before.” 

Xigbar nodded as a plume of smoke hit him in the face. “Wonder how the others back at the Citadel will react when they find out we barged in on their interrogation. We cashed in when the Glaives took a live one to get information out of, right, Lady?” 

The three of them looked up to see her staring at the large bonfire that took place in front of them. Giant wisps of orange, red, and yellow wavered in the sky and illuminated her body with the warm colors. Slowly, she turned around and met them with a blank, unfeeling stare. “Can you open up a corridor to the coordinates he listed?” 

“We’ll go with you,” Isa offered as he summoned one for her. 

“No,” her tone was indifferent. Her hand which was covering her chest slid down and the three of them saw the mark of the Infernian grace her chest. “Don’t worry. I won’t be alone.” 

“You sure? We should come just to watch your back.”

“No,” she muttered before slipping past them and into the corridor. “I want to make sure I kill them all myself.”

*******

“Ma’am, the prisoner- he’s awake,” a Deepground soldier reported to a woman dressed in all red. 

“Is he now? Perfect. I’ve just about had it with the amount of times he’s passed out.” Rosso bared her lips in annoyance. 

“M-maybe you’re being too rough with him? At this point you won’t be able to extract anything from him. Ma’am.”

“What did you say?” her red eyes glared at him and the soldier averted his eyes. Pushing past him, her heels clanked on the metal floor as she stood in front of a separate room. The doors slid open and inside, chained up and hanging from the ceiling, was Prompto. “Good morning, my little angel. Sleep well?” 

Prompto flinched at that voice he grew so familiar with. He didn’t dare look up until the tip of his chin was lifted with one of her sharpened red nails. “Now, will you tell me about your dearest Lady?” 

His eyes were cold and he put on a brave face as she inched closer until he could see the perfect outline of lipstick on her mouth. “Tsk tsk tsk, always eager to defend your friend.. No matter.” She walked over to the stainless steel tray and picked up a pair of pliers. “We’ll start fresh again today. No doubt your wounds have already healed, yes?” After observing him, she licked her lips in anticipation. “I see you’re still feeling a bit woozy after your daily mako dose. Don’t worry, you get used to it.” 

The pliers she picked up already had a coating of dried blood on it, evidence of their last session. She clicked her tongue and perused her selection again for a clean set. “Those idiots can’t clean up after our private times it seems. Though I guess I don’t blame them. Who can remember to do so each hour.”

Taking a small knife, she walked over to him and cupped his face. “My sweet, sweet angel. You know I can go easier on you if you talk.” 

“I rather die,” he snarled, readying his body for what may come. 

Rosso looked peeved, that expression fleeting as she tried to calm herself down. “Your eyes are so beautiful, no wonder your creator chose them to be implanted.” 

“..What do you mean?”

“Tell my child, to what loyalty do you owe your friends? An orphan like you, who has no true knowledge of his real parents. What if I told you-” Rosso flicked the knife upwards, leaving a streak of red across his freckled cheek, “-you never had parents?”

“What do you mean?”

“You and I are not as different as you may think. You see, I too was created in a lab,” she smiled a sickly sweet smile. “I say you join us. You’ll find more of a home here than you ever will in that city of humans.”

“You’re lying.”

Rosso shrugged. Walking over to pick up a file from her table of tools, she held up one picture in front of him. What he saw was enough to make him dizzy. 

Though it was dimly lit, he saw multiple test tubes lining up in the picture. Green liquid filled them, liquid that glowed and looked as thick as soup. The light they gave off was blocked off by slim figures floating within them; closer inspection revealed the figures shared an eerily similar build to his. And when he saw the faces plastered on the bodies kept within, he felt like his stomach caved in on itself. 

Every body in those tubes were copies of him. Copies of his body, his face, and even his hair. 

_ Or am I a copy of them..? _ The thought sent shivers up his spine. 

“Like it?” Rosso tapped her knife against the picture. “You were created in the lab too, my dear boy. And not just any lab, we took these in the heart of the Niflheim Empire. You were created by their Imperial scientist. One Verstael Besithia. See?” She picked up another picture, a headshot of the young scientist. He saw the resemblance immediately. They shared the eyes, the facial features, everything he could think of. “Ohh.. Sweetie. You’re shaking. Perhaps you miss your father? I know. A family reunion will set you straight.” 

Before Rosso walked away, she stuck the picture to his skin and pinned it down with her knife. He didn’t get a chance to ask her what the hell she meant or scream in pain or even to deny her assumptions before she ripped off the tarps hanging off the walls around them. A lump formed in his throat when he saw that the picture he was shown just minutes ago manifested into the room around him. He was staring at copies of himself floating in the tubes. 

Rosso picked up a smaller canister resting on a shelf, showcasing a single human brain. “Unfortunately, daddy dearest was too feeble. We just took his most valuable asset and left his body to rot,” she held it out towards him. “Would you like to greet him?”

“Keep that thing away from me!” 

“Or maybe you’d like to see one of your brothers?” She set the brain down and walked over to the capsules, pressing a button to drain the fluid before extracting the body out of it. Letting it drop to the floor unceremoniously, Prompto watched in dread as she picked up its arm and broke it at the elbow with her foot, making a sickening, fleshy noise along with it. Ripping it off, she kicked the stump away before approaching him with the freshly decapitated limb. From where his copy lay, he saw blood ooze out in thick shades of black. “See? You share the same birthmark.” 

On the wrist was a barcode. It looked exactly like his, except only the numbers were different. Marking him as one of them, assembled in what appeared to be a long, long factory line. 

“No.. No, no, no, no!” He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to will away the image in front of him. 

“You know what they used to make these clones into?” Rosso continued, tossing the limb aside with its softened flesh making a squishy sound upon impact. “Soldiers. You might know them as MTs, the very footmen the Lucis empire slain many of. How does it feel, I wonder? To be best friends to an heir to a nation that’s killed thousands- no, hundreds of thousands of your kind. Of  _ you _ ?”

“You’re fucking lying!” He screamed, tears building up in his eyes. But deep in his heart, he knew she wasn’t. She hadn’t lied this far. In fact, she always had evidence to substantiate her claims. 

“It was ingenious of them to clone their soldiers to make an army with innumerous numbers. In fact, we used the same technology in Deepground when we learned of their science,” she stopped pacing and faced him. “Would you like to see the fruits of our labors?” 

The doors slid open and a soldier stepped in. “Ma’am, you’re needed at once.”

Rosso sighed. “What is it this time, can’t you see I’m busy?” 

The soldier flinched. “Yes.. but it’s important. It’s a message from Weiss.” 

At the mention of that name, Rosso straightened up and any lax in her behavior was immediately rectified. “I see. I’ll be on my way.” As the soldier left, Rosso turned to Prompto and smiled at him. “I have to go, pet. But don’t worry, you won’t be alone.” 


	38. XXXVIII

_“If you fail. I’ll consider you dead. Deepground has no use for weak bodies. Do you understand?”_

Rosso bowed her head. “..Yes, Weiss.”

_“How is the prisoner?”_

“Boring,” her sadistic nature returned slowly, overshadowing the meekness she just had prior. “He is unacceptable as a test subject, but I will make it work. All for the glory of Deepground.” Weiss was displayed on a large screen. He was sitting on a throne of metal. Only the majority of his lower body and torso was seen with the upper half of his face cut off. It was a privilege he reserved for only the most trusted of their organization. Though it seems he no longer gave her that luxury as she could only see the critical scowl on his lips. 

_“You had higher profile targets to go after- and yet you bring back the one with the least value? Rosso, I’m disappointed.”_ The crimson woman flinched at his words. _“You could’ve went after Vincent Valentine, Prince Noctis, even one of the Firsts- but you didn’t. Did you perhaps misunderstand my instructions?”_

“No, of course not!” she bowed in front of the screen. “We were close to getting the crown prince..but then _she_ came. One of my lieutenants dispatched her when we captured her friend, she won't be flying any time soon.”

Weiss went silent for a while, his hand flexing over the armrests as he repositioned himself. _“..You did what?”_

Rosso felt fear tingle along her spine and she deigned to look up at the screen, imagining that Weiss himself stepped through the glass to smite her. Had she done something to incur his wrath? What was it that she could’ve done better? 

_“Don’t fail me again. Bring her to me. Uninjured.”_ He emphasized that last word and the screen blacked out. Only her reflection stared back at her and she hated the way she was trembling. 

*******

“Hey, what’s this bird doing here?” A soldier standing guard at the front raised his rifle, aiming the sights at the large crow that glared at them from afar. “Shoo!”

Spreading its wings, the crow lifted into the sky; gliding over a barren wasteland awash in darkness and towards a row of rocks that concealed Lady as she waited patiently. Once the crow landed, transforming into a man, she opened one eye and waited for him to speak. 

“So?”

“There’s many of them outside. I suspect the same can be said for their interior.”

“Any idea where they’re keeping Prompto?”

“No. My apologies.” 

“It’s fine.”

Brushing off the rubble off her pants, she peeked over the rock and squinted, seeing how the guards changed since the last hour. Her finger traced over her chest with an absence of thought and she mulled over about the best way of infiltrating. “Kuron,” she finally said. “Remove the seal.”

The familiar skewed his brows together. “My lady, I don’t think that’s-”

“That’s an order,” she said with a firmness that was not to be tested. “Remove it.”

“...Yes, my lady.”

*******

Prompto’s limbs felt numb at the bases where they were being held up with shackles. Where the steel held his skin, he could feel a bruising start there that would make the rest of the surrounding flesh feel soft and malleable. He’d lost track of the hours, only relying on Rosso’s occasional ‘teasing’ as his way to tell if time had even passed. In the darkness of this room, with the fluorescent lights of the test subjects in their tubes- it seemed like time had abandoned him completely and depressive thoughts filled his heart. 

The doors slid open and he heard heavy boots hitting the metal grating. “Lunch,” the person announced, hanging a sack of questionable meat on a hook that dangled just inches within Prompto’s face. Once that was done, the guard left Prompto to struggle to get his daily nutrients. 

His neck strained and ached by the amount of times and awkward positions he had to force himself to do just to eat. He wanted to lie down at least, to rub his arms or legs. If they were still functioning, that is. 

After swallowing a few bites of the chunky fat that dribbled off the slightly undercooked meal, he heard something in the distance that was unusual in his daily routine. A large, loud, crash that was followed by an explosion. It came closer, and closer, until the chained meat dangled in front of him like a bob off a fishing pole. He squinted through the dim lighting and gasped when the crashing noise got even more intense. 

Screams filled the hallways right outside and he saw bright orange light fill up the seams in between the sliding door. The door then came flying at him and he was forced to take the full weight of the impact; it sent him back towards the wall behind him and he collapsed against the surface as he blinked away the daze. Under the weight of the door, he felt his wrist come loose and he jiggled his arm to confirm. Sure enough, he felt the shackles that held his arm back come free and he felt relief wash over him as he did so. Unlatching the rest of his limbs from his confinement, he pushed himself off the ground and stumbled towards the door. Right when he crossed the threshold, he instantly inhaled the smell of burnt flesh melding with the metal. 

The guard he saw earlier was slumped against the wall, his helmet molten and revealed a burned face underneath that was nearly charred to the bone. Prompto held back a gag and ran to find an exit if there was one. Each hallway he turned into revealed a new set of incinerated corpses and the smell of newly cooked meat almost made his mouth water- until he saw where it originated from. 

There was fire everywhere. Licking the walls and spreading through material that weren't supposed to be so flammable. Pipes that crossed the ceiling began to burst and spew steaming water, forcing him to jump forward if he didn’t want to be boiled alive. As he ran, he felt his head get dizzy. Leaning against the wall, he caught his breath; that was quickly brought to a stop when he heard a crowd of footsteps running in his direction. He turned to escape down the other way, but the footsteps got closer and made more progress than he ever could within such a short amount of time. As they approached him, he shut his eyes and expected to be dragged back to his cell- but when they passed right by, he stood there in shock. 

Whatever it was that was happening, it was much more important than him. 

Up ahead, more bodies flailed as another explosion made the pipes burst; the mako that exited quickly gave the flame fuel as it tinged with a greenish-blue hue. Prompto raised his arm over his eyes to protect himself, diving below the flames and running as fast as his body allowed. He had no idea where to go, he just assumed staying in one place that was coming apart was bad. The smell of molten steel got so unbearable that he ripped off a piece of his shirt and used it to cover the lower half of his face to try and block it, though whatever fumes that already entered him made him lightheaded and a bit queasy. 

Down the hall to the left, he found himself at a large area with a dark shadow looming in the distance. A horned, humanoid figure stood tall over a sea of flames. In its hand was a curved blade and immediately, Prompto felt as if he’d not just seen this foe before- and battled with it as well. Only until the figure’s face was illuminated by another onslaught of fire did he realize why this was all so familiar. 

Ifrit the Infernian was incinerating this Deepground hideout to ash. 

The god glanced his way, but instead of reacting, he merely tossed another helping of fire to the already building pile. Ifrit ignored him, treating his existence as if he were nothing and left Prompto feeling confused. Perhaps it was a good thing. There was no way he could stand up to Ifrit himself, let alone in this state. 

Through the climbing walls of flames, he saw an opening form at the ceiling. Opening up through melted holes and revealing the dark sky above. Not even the stars were out and Prompto assumed the sun had set for the last time during his time in being captured. Somewhere through the orange and red screen of smoke, he heard someone gasp for air and the sound of a blade slicing through flesh. 

Squinting through the bright light, he saw an additional two figures. One was on their knees, kneeling, with a sword sticking out of their abdomen. The other was standing, holding the sword and seemed to speak to the other. After what looked like a heated exchange, the one holding the sword brought their foot up and kicked the body off the weapon- like wiping mud from their boots. 

This figure was covered in red. Bright, crimson red. Prompto instantly thought of Rosso. Of the woman’s crude, crimson smile, hair, eyes, and clothes. 

Had Rosso come to take him back to his cell? 

The figure turned his way and he took a step back, tripping over some fallen debris as they came closer. He crawled away, every inch filled with steamed metal underneath his palms. The figure got closer and his lips began to tremble. “No..” he begged. “Please…”

The figure stopped, their sword disappearing and knelt down in front of him. Whatever fear that gripped him and warped his perception soon faded and he saw a familiar face form from the blood-soaked vision. 

“Prom. It’s me,” Lady spoke softly. 

He was breathless. “You came for me.”

“Of course I did,” she held her hand out for him to grab. “C’mon. Can you walk?”

He nodded, taking her hand and allowing himself to be pulled up. She wrapped one arm around his waist while he hoisted one over her shoulders to further steady himself. Ifrit stopped what he was doing and saw her nod. The god understood and he began preparing to release his strongest spell to wipe this place down completely. 

“How did you get him on your side?” he asked, seeing the red sigils appear above the god's head. 

“Not now,” she replied. 

He limped by as she guided him towards an exit, which was just a large opening on the side of a thick metal wall. He assumed this was what made that initial loud sound earlier. As they came towards it, they passed by a body lying lifeless on the floor and surrounded in a pool of crimson. There was no need to inspect it further. He had a feeling he already knew who it was. 

*******

Prompto was sleeping for now. Though it was more like he was just closing his eyes, as every few minutes or so, the poor boy would wake in a fit. His hands flailed in front of his face, trying to protect himself from some unknown assailant and she could only grab him, restraining his hands from clawing at himself and shushing his crying. 

They repeated this song and dance for what seemed like hours. Sitting in front of the small campfire, watching Prompto like a hawk, Lady could feel something wash over her like a shawl covering her shoulders. Her eyes slowly panned towards the handgun Prompto nabbed from a Deepground soldier and her fingers reached for it, sliding it towards herself across the dirt. 

Picking it up, she admired the carbon finish of the grip and how it made it so much more secure. The barrel was made of the same material, and it was so glossy that she could distinctly see how her eyes looked back at her from the reflection. Even the muzzle.. 

With her thumb tracing the circular opening of the gun, she found it slowly getting close to her. Closer and closer until she felt the cold steel against her forehead. 

Her finger slipped against the trigger, feeling the perforated grip and sighed. At least it wouldn’t accidentally slip. 

Taking the gun off safety, she took deep breaths and with how close it was, she could smell the distinct scent of gunpowder just waiting to be released. 

Her breaths became more shallow and more desperate as she pressed it more into her skull. Biting her lip, she urged herself to pull the trigger. 

One hand was on the gun, another was over her mouth to stifle the sobs she wanted to release. Tears and mucus dripped down her face and over the side of her hand, falling to the ashen dirt below and staining them darker. 

After a few more minutes and a quick stolen look at Prompto, she flung the gun across the campside and tucked her head in her arms as she curled up into herself. 

There were other things she needed to get done first.

*******

Waking up in a fit, Prompto looked to his feet and pulled his ankles up as he has been for the past week. Though he only saw his limbs free from any constraints, and only then did he remember the events that transpired just before making camp here. He sat up slowly, feeling a sharp pain hit him in the chest and winced. Lady had her eyes shut and sat leaning against a boulder with her hand on her sword and another on a handgun. When the gravel rustled under his shifting body, he also saw her head perk up- yet her eyes remained closed. After a few beats of muted sound, she relaxed again with her head bobbing down. 

He had saw this only once before with Gladio, where trained soldiers would put themselves in this trance-like state: not sleeping, but not awake either. 

Pulling down the handkerchief she tied around his wrist, he saw the barcode and felt his stomach sink. Somehow in his head, he convinced himself that this was all a bad dream. And that he and Lady were just taking a break and went to camp somewhere alone. Of course this was far from the harsh reality he was forced to live the longer he stared at the vertical black strokes on his skin. Dragging himself towards their dying fire, he watched the embers flicker and dim as the smoke smothered them. 

Prompto held one of the burning kindling up near his wrist. The dying amber illuminated the barcode and he forced himself to try and bring the wood closer. He bit his lip until it broke through skin and he choked on a sob as the barcode kept mocking him silently. 

With a last frustrated cry, he tried forcing the wood to burn away the patch of skin on his wrist-

-but was stopped as Lady blocked him from doing so. 

“Let me go-!” he tried fighting against her, but she kept her hand there. 

“What do you think that’s going to do?” she adopted a soft tone, motioning to the wood in his hand. “It’ll leave a scar.”

“I don’t want to see this ever again,” his lip quivered. “I’m not even human.”

Instead of saying anything, she held his head and wrapped her arms around his shaking body. She kept shushing him until he finally calmed down enough so that she may talk over him. “You are what you make yourself to be, sunshine,” she told him and he held onto her, trying to relax into her hug.

“How can I face Noct and the others? When I’m _this_. An Imperial-made thing?”

“They would love you all the same, no matter where you come from.”

“Should I tell them?”

“If that’s what you want.”

“...I’m scared.”

“I’m here with you.”

It didn’t seem like he was that assured, so she took his wrist and kissed the barcode. “You’re the finest example of a human being I've ever known. Don’t let this define you.” She felt his breaths return to normal and she brushed the dirt from his freckled cheek. “Come on. Let’s go home.” 

*******

Aranea awaited them at the gates leading to Insomnia. She gave the orders to stand down when two figures trekked over the long bridge towards them. Lady held Prompto up, with one of his arms wrapped around his shoulders and another supporting his waist. When they got closer, one of the Glaives approached and she handed off Prompto to them. 

“His left set of ribs are fractured,” she said. “He's also severely dehydrated and malnourished. See to it that he’s taken care of.”

The Glaive took Prompto carefully, escorting him to a car to drive him the rest of the way to the hospital, all the while she whistled for a large crow to follow the envoy to their destination for further insurance. Once the car was out of sight, Lady plopped down on a broken piece of rubble and put her head in her hands. 

“He looks terrible,” hummed Aranea before facing her. “And you look like shit.”

“You wouldn’t have a drink on you, would you?” 

“I don’t drink on the job, Doll Face.” Aranea took a seat next to her. “What’s on your mind?”

“Nothing,” she muttered. “Just tired as fuck.”

“Tsk. That could fool your boyfriends, but it can’t fool a woman, sweetheart. What’s _really_ on your mind?”

Lady rolled her head over to look at the beautiful commodore and released a heavy exhale. “What if you had a secret? A secret you felt like you couldn’t tell anybody? Something that is practically earth-shattering. Like, let’s say, hm, you’re a god. A supernatural being.”

“A...god.” Aranea nodded slowly. “Alright. And what about it?”

“If the enemy that we all faced could only be destroyed by another god that was strong enough or on equal level- would you make that sacrifice knowing that after you’ve won you’ll live forever? Only to watch all of the people you made that sacrifice for die a little later only because you wanted to save them from a quicker death? What if you realize that maybe the only good way out is if we all just…perished.”

Aranea grabbed her head, shaking her a little. “You’re talking nonsense, Doll Face. I’m gonna need you to kill that noise a bit.”

Through squished cheeks, she managed a quiet ‘okay.’ 

Even still, Aranea didn’t let go of her. “But let’s go ahead and say all of that’s true. Everything about gods and sacrifices and all that crap. Honestly? That’s something you have to decide for yourself. Is seeing everyone you love happier for a little while longer worth whatever pain the future has?”

She put her hands on her wrists, forcing the other woman’s hands off. “I imagine people would want to see the sun again, huh?”

“It’s nothing I’m not used to,” Aranea shrugged. “But I imagine people would be a whole lot less depressed, and-“ she motioned to the rubble, scorch marks, and scratches on the bridges, “-there’d be less daemons trying to ambush us.” The commodore got up, kicking a pebble off with a scowl. “I don’t even know where this damned darkness came from. Not even the smart-asses up in the Citadel can explain it. Do you know anything about this?”

“Not me. But there was one person that may have,” she answered. 

“Oh, yeah? Who?”

Lady chucked a pebble into the dark water below the bridge. “Doesn’t matter now. She’s not here.”

*******

Noctis, Ignis, and Gladio all visited Prompto while the latter was constrained to bed rest for the foreseeable future. The little gunman had a small cut going across his nose, it was a reddish-brown color that mixed in an unflattering matter with the dark purple bruises on his eyes and cheeks. He did his best to look presentable with a smile, but it hurt his face to do so- all he could muster was the upbeat tone he always has to cheer his friends. 

“Soo..how’re you feeling?” Noctis wanted to grimace when he saw Prompto strain himself under his wounds, but did his best not to for his best friend's sake. 

“Eh, it’s not as bad as it looks.” He tried to laugh, but held his chest and stopped. “It’s, uh, not as bad as that training session I had with Gladio, remember?”

Gladio clicked his teeth. “You don’t gotta act brave for us. It hurts like hell, doesn’t it?”

Prompto’s smile faded. “Yeah. Kinda.” He glanced down at the hospital wristband that wrapped around his barcode. Picking at the paper, he began to seize up with anxiety. “Hey, guys? What if I told you that I wasn’t from here?”

“We’ve met your adoptive parents before, Prom,” Gladio pointed out. “It doesn’t matter where they picked you up.”

“What if I told you it was somewhere far away? Somewhere..bad?”

“Your place of birth has no say in the character you’ve come to foster,” said Ignis. “As Gladio said, it doesn’t matter.”

“Don’t look so down. Cheer up,” Noctis nudged his casted foot lightly, directly over the scribbles on the white bandaging where the other three left their signatures on it. “You’re home, so just relax.”

Prompto took a few breaths, considering their words before finally showing them a smile. A genuine one. “Thanks guys.”

Just outside his hospital room, Lady leaned her back against the wall, listening into the conversation. Eavesdropping wasn’t in her usual repertoire, but something weighed down her feet and immobilized her before she could walk in. It wasn’t an emotion she could readily identify. But she knew it was born from her own cowardice. 

How could she bring herself to face him like that? 

The guilt inside her began eating up whatever scraps her heart gave out and in turn grew larger and stronger. 

Pushing herself off the wall, she left the boys to have their moment together and walked off alone. Outside of the hospital, she saw Cor standing at the steps and walked past him until he uttered her name. 

“You’re needed.” Without another word, she followed him and they both strode in silence towards the direction of the Citadel. “Did you check in on Prompto?”

“Yeah,” she lied.

“I see.” Cor had his katana by his side, always holding it in his hand and never strapped to his back or hip. “You realize the way you accomplish things isn't how we Lucians operate.” 

She resisted the urge to scowl. “Are you reprimanding me, marshal?” 

“Not yet. I’m just informing you.”

“Then remember this before you do. I’m not Lucian, I’m Spiran,” she spat. “I got it done. That’s all that matters.”

Cor didn’t respond and they walked the rest of the way in silence once again. Once they reached the Citadel, she saw three figures waiting for her near the front doors and she cursed under her breath. As they reached the stairs leading in, Cor gave the three a subtle nod before walking off and leaving her alone. 

“Just what were you thinking?” Auron’s voice raised at her. “You can’t just go anywhere you please. Do you understand how much trouble we’d be in if you were captured?”

“What’s done is done,” Lady growled. “You really gonna lecture me about it now?”

“Yes. Because your recklessness will cost us everything!”

She clicked her tongue loudly, deigning to roll her eyes as Auron, Jecht, and Braska scolded her.

“If Bahamut, or that Deepground took you, who knows what would’ve happened,” Auron continued, much to her chagrin. “Don’t be so selfish!”

“I had to rescue my friend,” she shot back. “Because none of you weren’t getting anywhere here! Who knows what would’ve happened to him if we stood around doing nothing.”

Before Auron could say anything else- no doubt another lecture, Braska placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. “Onna wouldn’t have allowed you to be so careless,” he uttered lastly. “You should stay within the city confines until we find a way to fight the Draconian.”

“Onna. Is. Dead,” she replied with a bitter scowl. “And who are _you_ to tell _me_ what to do? You’re neither my guardian nor my father.” Jecht tried to go near her for comfort, but she pulled away, tossing him a scornful glare. “I survived this long without any of you taking care of me- so why do you think I need you now? When I ran away, none of you even tried to find me!"

"Because you didn't want to be found," Auron's eyes narrowed. "You covered every single trail we could've used. It's been years since we even caught any word of your well-being. By then, we couldn't respond to your letters because Onna was-" 

"Whatever," she huffed, turning her face away. 

Jecht caught her by the wrist before she could leave. There was a downturned angle to his mouth and he looked as if there was something weighing heavy on his mind. “Look..kid. There’s something you need to know.”

“Jecht,” Braska was alarmed, “don’t. 

“About the Final Summoning,” Jecht continued. “It..it wasn’t supposed to be your mother.” His deep, red eyes filled with sorrow as he looked upon her. “It was supposed to be me. I was supposed to be the one that was going to be sacrificed. But Onna- your mother, she..she insisted she was the one to do it.” She tried to pull away, but he kept her there, looking more sorrowful by the second. “I’m sorry, kid.”

Ripping her arm from him, her scowl deepened. “Whole lot of use saying sorry now! It’s too late for any of that!” Her fists shook at her side, unable to conceal the rage she felt. “..Why do I always get the short end of the stick? I didn’t ask for any of this.”

“I know,” Jecht muttered. “I wanted-”

“I don’t care what you want!” she snapped. Memories came to her, playing in her head like a movie. Showcasing all of the things that’s happened thus far, and she wished she could somehow edit it; removing the parts she repressed to something happier, something that gave her a reason to continue. Tears conceived from anger ran down her cheeks in hot streams and she slapped Jecht’s hand away when he tried to reach for her again. “You’re a fucking coward,” her voice shook. “Why couldn’t it have been _you_?”

Jecht usually wasn’t the type to outwardly show any emotion. His burly appearance always carried the assumption that this was a man who couldn’t give a damn what you think of him. But at the moment she called him out, she saw that exterior weaken and crumble, revealing a man filled with a lifetime of regret. 

“...I’m sorry.” He paused and uttered her real name. Along with the surname she shared with her mother.

Lady was struck with more guilt. She thought of what would’ve happened if it really was Jecht who took the fall instead of her mother. It would’ve been different, yes. But at what cost? Tidus would’ve suffered the fate she had now. That also would’ve caused Yuna grief, and that was the last thing she wanted her childhood friends to go through. In fact, she wouldn’t wish this fate upon anybody- not even her greatest foe. 

“I-I need some time alone. To reflect.”

“Wait, kid, whatever you’re thinking right now- it ain’t worth it,” Jecht caught up with her. “I know you’re frustrated, but we can find a way to do this. Without you sacrificing any more than you already have.”

She wished she could believe him. But deep in her heart she didn’t. 

**More weeks had passed by. More daemons came. The darkness didn’t seem to show an end and the humans in this world tried to uplift others the best they could, but it was difficult not to fall into the rut of melancholy once it struck.**

**Everyone did whatever they could do. But it was hard to fight an enemy that seemed to have unending numbers. It didn’t take long for humanity’s will to subside and edge away with each and every wave of darkness that overthrew them.**

**The planet was covered in a smog of thick black, blocking out the sun and perverting the sky to the point where it seemed as if one was staring at an empty chasm where the stars once kept the humans company.**

“This reminds me of the old Castle, eh?” Lea didn’t even have to squint at the darkness anymore. It was so normalized now, that the spotlights they placed around the city was what blinded him the most. The same could be said for all of them. “Pretty gloomy.”

Elrena was frazzled, her sleep schedule thrown off along with the rest of them. Though this time it was because they’ve been watching over this city as a whole for the past few weeks on full shifts with rarely any breaks in between. It was a demanding experience, one that made them all slow with fatigue and eager to trade shifts when possible. “Why don’t we move everyone we know onto a new world,” she said out loud, earning wary glances from the others. 

“Because this is their world, and no one wants to give up on their home,” Roxas replied with a biting edge. “Like them, we’ll fight. No matter how long it takes.”

“You’ll regret those words when we all fall from exhaustion,” said Isa. “If the state of the world continues- it won’t be long before everything ceases to exist.”

“Nice pep talk,” Xigbar snorted. “Very nice. Almost makes me want to give up entirely.” They remained silent with their heads hanging low at the poor prospect in front of them. “What about the big-wigs at the Citadel? They figure out anything to do about this?”

Roxas shook his head, a bitter frown crossing his face. “It seems like we’re waiting.. But for what?”

None of them knew. It seemed like the ones who were supposed to be figuring this out hadn’t the faintest of ideas either. 

“Knock knock!” Aerith stuck her head in the room. “Rations!” By rations, she held up cans of purified water to which she handed out to each of them. 

“That’s it?” Elrena raised her eyebrow. “No stale bread this time?”

“No,” Aerith seemed to pout. “It’s just these.. Sorry. The crops died out not that long after the sun went away.”

“It’ll have to do,” Isa studied the can, though he too was disappointed. 

Roxas stared at his for a while before handing it back to Aerith. “Give this to Lady. She needs it more than I do.”

Aerith gave him a sweet smile. “I tried to, but she hasn’t taken her rations at all. I also tried going into her room, but that mean old butler of hers won’t let me in!” 

“Who? Kuron? Yeah,” Xigbar remembered his attempt to enter her room as well, but was barred completely. “That guy is something else. Wouldn’t even let me explain why I should come see her. Can’t even use a corridor to get inside.”

“He just told me she’s busy,” Aerith continued. “Praying, or something. When I tried eavesdropping a bit, I heard her muttering to a ‘goddess of war’ or something like that.”

“‘Goddess of war’?” Lea repeated. “There is no goddess of war.”

“Only Bahamut is the god of war.” Isa already finished his can of water. “Are you sure you weren’t mistaken?”

“No. I heard what I heard. She said goddess!”

“Goddess or not- I think all the divine beings here are pushing daisies by now, right? Except for the king of gods himself.” Xigbar leaned back until his head rested on the wall. “I’ll be honest, I don’t see us winning against him anytime soon.”

“We got both him and Deepground’s weapon to worry about,” mumbled Elrena. “They got another one of those other alien beings sucking this world dry.”

Aerith nodded, “Omega. Vincent is working with the Shinra scientists to try and figure out what to do about that.”

“Can you tell them to hurry up?” Lea twirled one of his long, red spikes between his fingers. Though in the lighting, it appeared dark maroon. “I don’t know how much of this darkness I can take.”

Roxas watched them go back and forth then turned his eyes from the ledge of the balcony where he sat. Though he usually had good control of balance, he was forced to grab onto the ledge as the wind picked up. On the backs of the coming inclement, he felt a subtle hint of magic. A feeling that grew and grew the more the wind picked up and an involuntary chill ran up his spine. Looking back at the group, he saw that they noticed it too as they looked straight past him and towards the outside. 

*******

“My lady, you must eat.” Kuron’s pleas went unanswered, much as Lady’s was. A circle of candles surrounded her with the melted wax encroaching over the drawn pentagram sigil on the floor. On her thumb was a smudge of dried blood where she used to stencil in the sigil in hopes that it would make her connection stronger. She could hear the cries of the people stuck within the Lifestream, of those eaten by daemons and given unrest until eternity, of those whose hearts were forever lost to the darkness. 

But none of her mother. 

“My lady-”

“Goddamnit!” She cried, slamming the floor with her palm and sending the adjacent candle flying backwards. 

Kuron rushed to her side, kneeling with her and holding her up by her shoulders. It was as he feared. The effects of removing the seal that held back her Astral-borne powers had caused her agony. Pain wasn’t the symptom here, no- it was more so that she was more in tune with the world’s energies, both primordial and new. Every single fiber that strung together this planet now strummed loudly in her ears, constantly assaulting her mind and ticking off each nerve ending she possessed. 

It would take some time getting used to. But after all that’s happened, after all she’d been through. He didn’t want to give her something else to worry about. 

“I need answers, Kuron,” she glanced up at the familiar. “My mother has them, I know she does. I can’t just sit around and do nothing.” _Not while the world decays in darkness._

“You need rest,” he urged her, helping her up and steadying her by her arm. “Won’t you come out of your room? Your friends are worried.”

“I don’t want them here,” she snapped. “I asked you to erect that barrier around my room for a reason. I don’t want to be bothered.” 

Kuron heard the rage in her words, but saw the despair in her eyes. He remembered how her face looked dead when she stayed by Prompto’s side in the hospital when they first brought him in. Being so attached to her spiritually, he felt every single emotion that was processing within her head; the majority of them being desperation. 

“You musn’t blame yourself.”

“Don’t tell me how to feel,” she tugged her arm back from him. Drawing the curtains back on her window, she stared out into the starless sky and felt absolutely bitter. “This is my fault. All of this. Zack.. Prompto.. I’m putting everyone in danger just for existing.”

Kuron could only watch. Nothing he could say or do would make her feel better, and so he did the only thing he knew how. He remained by his mistress’ side. As he did so, a feeling of déjà vu washed over him. He had seen the same with Onna. 

Both of them stood there quietly. Until a shift in the air made their eyes focus in the direction of the sudden influx that they felt. 

Down below, they saw the wisteria tree’s purple blossoms turn dull in color before completely becoming brown and edged with black. 

This was enough to make Lady panic. 

“Kuron,” she commanded and he took his mistress in his arms, stepping off the window’s ledge and carrying them both down on lofty black wings. Once they touched the floor, she ran to the large wisteria tree in the middle of the Citadel’s front courtyard and placed her hand on it. The energies that once filled it were now depleting slowly if not gone completely, and thus the barrier that it placed around Insomnia slowly flickered like the flame of a dying candle. 

“What’s causing this?” She ran her palm against the crisp bark, pulling away after it turned completely blackened with char. 

“Mistress..” Kuron’s breath was caught in his throat. 

Lady turned around, assuming he was addressing her. But when she saw how his eyes pointed to a spot behind her, a chill ran down her spine. 

Turning ever so slowly, she finally saw what made Kuron turn quiet so suddenly. 

Onna stood a good few paces away. Her long hair flowed freely behind her like loosened lace and her once pristine kimono was ripped and torn in some places, demeaning the robes that only a high priestess could wear. What increased her ghost-like appearance was the presence of two horns rising from her skull, arching backwards to point at two large, shimmering butterfly wings on her back. They were red and iridescent, like the smaller red butterflies floating around her and illuminating her face every time they passed by. 

“Mom..?” She stepped forward. “Mom!!” Before she could run towards her, Kuron grabbed her by the wrist. 

“No,” he simply said and shook his head. “Look closer.”

So she did, and she finally saw the subtle blue glow to Onna’s eyes. A glow that she herself once obtained after being resurrected by Bahamut. It was a mark of possession by the king of gods. 

Onna staggered forward for a moment, catching herself and forcing her head up to look at her daughter. “I..don’t..have..much time.” She raised her sword up to point at her. “You must..finish me. For he won’t..let me go..so easily..”

“I can’t do that,” Lady whimpered. “Please don’t make me do this.”

“You’ve..obtained the mark of the Infernian.. Good.” Each word of hers was strained, as if it took great effort just to push out thoughts that she owned. Every time she spoke, her eyes pulsed light with the syllables, as if Bahamut were trying to stop them before they could be heard. “But..even the lord of fire wouldn’t..be able to kill me. It..must be you.”

Lady felt the weight of her words. “Please..”

“My little flower..” The tip of Onna’s sword gleamed in the dark. “It must be you.”

Raising her sword, she saw the tip of her weapon waver and shake. Clamping her other hand on it to try and steady herself, she grew frustrated as that only caused her shaking to grow more uncontrollable. 

Meanwhile, Onna had her sword arm perfectly still. “I’m sorry, my love. This..is the last favor I’ll ever ask of you.” 


	39. XXXIX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I knew writing 3 stories at the same time was a bad idea. Someone end me.

_“Alright my little flower, once more. Up you go.” Onna stopped, seeing her daughter struggle to pick herself up from the dirt. Her sword swung to a standstill and she waited patiently. “You must get up sooner or later, my love.”_

_“I can’t,” the little one panted, “can’t we just go inside and read?” Their swords, although faux and made of wood, left bruises that were fresh and red along her arms and legs. “You’re too good. I’ll never beat you.”_

_“Not until you find out how to break my guard.” Onna motioned for her to get up, holding out her hand for her daughter to hold onto. “Now come on. Watch my movements, know when to strike. And when the time comes- don’t hesitate to finish off your opponent. Alright?”_

“Alright.” Lady whispered. Steadying her hand, she pointed it towards her mother. “I’m ready.” 

Onna already had her blade arm positioned. “Good. Now show me how far you’ve come.” 

Kuron bowed his head, unable to partake in the event that was unfolding in front of him. Time seemed to have stopped, save for the particles of wisteria blossoms floating in the air before touching the ground at their feet. They were kicked up shortly as Onna and Lady circled each other, their eyes glued to the other as if they were the only two left in this decaying world. 

The goddess made the first strike, bringing her blade down on her as the latter defended herself. Pushing back, she found herself being overpowered easily and her footing became slippery. Her knees gave out, and she was shoved back with enough force to send her flying through the Citadel gates and onto the carefully tarred roads leading into the city. 

Lady felt her skin dragging along the pavement as she skidded backwards. Body rolling through the fallen wisteria blooms in a flurry of dark purple and black as dust kicked up when she pushed herself up quickly. Not long before she steadied herself, Onna appeared in a flash of red and sliced her sword diagonally, rendering the once seamless road behind her into slashed up debris. Picking herself up, she ran again with her heart pounding loudly and her lungs feeling like they were aflame with Astral fire. 

Her feet carried her as best they could and managed with the lack of wings. Behind her, she could feel her mother give chase and the beat of her own wings carrying her with ease through the sky. Why was she running? Her mother wanted a fight, and yet she was too cowardly to give her what she had wished for. 

The floor gave way underneath her and she found herself scrambling to dive out of the way as bolts of fire struck the cement. It cracked underneath the intense heat and through the orange wisps, she saw Onna emerge with her glowing blue eyes trained solely on her. 

“I don’t want to fight you,” Lady whimpered again, her own heart beating out of control and echoing in her ears. 

“You don’t have a choice.”

Lady brought her sword up to meet hers. Metal clashing against the other as the sequential flint added to the roar of the fire. Behind the fire, she saw pedestrians whose bodies were standing perfectly still. Their faces calm and their body exhibiting no symptoms of panic, making her realize that they truly were frozen in time. In the distance, she saw Noctis and Ignis walking side-by-side; their faces painting a picture of an emotional conversation. They would be stuck there, until she ended this- and quickly.

When Onna struck again, she was ready. Parrying her attack, she managed to put her footing off-kilter and pushed back. “When have I _ever_ had a choice?!” She screamed as she leapt forward, bringing her sword down above her head. Sounds of metal scraping each other echoed in the timeless city, and through the midst of the wisteria storms that concealed her vision, a flash of black and red came advancing. With no time to dive out of the way, she felt the butt of Onna’s sword connecting with her stomach and sending her back once again. This time, her back connected with a trunk of a tree and knocked the breath from her chest. 

Gasping for air, she groaned when she felt the pieces of hard bark that dug into her skin. Grabbing onto the trunk, she clawed onto it to pull herself up and get ready to meet her mother again. 

Though, Onna didn’t charge nor advance. Instead, she stood there with her eyebrows twisted downwards in her familiar, disapproving scowl. “Fight.”

Lady shook her head, vehement in the decision to not commit the sin of matricide. 

“Fine. Then I will force you.” 

Onna disappeared in a cluster of butterflies that dispersed through the skies and huddled into a group right in front of Noctis and Ignis. Her stomach clenched with unease when she saw how the sword touched the side of Noctis’ neck. Wasting no time in getting up, she chased her. 

“Nocccttt!!!” She screamed, catching the blade before it could lob his head off. “Don’t hurt him!”

“Then stop me!” 

That was easier said than done. With each blow that pushed the matriarch back, another one of the strings that held her sanity together came loose. The nameless demi-goddess seemed to struggle even after years of experience in battle, it was her own lapse in judgement that seemed to trickle out and cause her sword arm to falter numerous times. Once again she felt like a child in comparison to her mother, whose accomplishments seemed to always outnumber her own. Her sword slid down the length of the opposing, but caught in the middle as the two of them struggled to overpower each other. 

Onna advanced down as she thrust up. Her grip began to lose integrity and so she tried to gather the remainder of her strength to finally gain the upper hand. Unfortunately, her weapon didn’t seem to have the same resolve and she saw a crack form in the middle of the once flawless edge. Gathering her losses, she swerved, twirling on the balls of her toes before coming behind Onna and attempting to hit her barehanded. Just as her fist connected, a barrier erected and blew her back as if she were the one being hit. 

One look at her sword was enough to tell her that another standoff like that would shatter it completely. A faulty weapon would decrease her chances of winning even more than they already were. When Onna’s sword came at her again, the upper part of her arm became coated in solid ice and caught the blade. The ice quickly melted, having being met with its opposing element. 

Fire swirled around them, leaving scorch marks on the pavement as she jumped back. In the corner of her eye, fast movement came her way and instinctively, she brought her sword up to block. Just as she expected, the sword’s crack grew and eventually caused the whole blade to split. Shattered fragments scattered over the ground and left her with a broken weapon that had its length reduced to that of a dagger.   
  


_“You broke my sword!” The little lady pouted. “What do I do if I have no weapon?”_

_“Improvise, little one. Or take your enemy’s.”_

Cursing, she flipped the hilt so that she held it up to the side. She waited for her mother to strike and when she did, she forced her sword arm down, spinning around to get closer and grab onto the sleeve of her kimono; using her elbow, she forced Onna to lose grip of her sword and swung around to deliver a kick to which Onna dodged. Her body shimmered as she left her proximity unscathed, though she glanced to her hand when she realized it was now empty. Instead, it was in her daughter’s possession. 

“Well played.” Shards of ice formed in Onna’s open palms, floating up and pointing towards Lady. 

_“Well what do I do if my opponent doesn’t seem to have a weak point?”_

_Onna let out a light laugh. “Everyone has their weak points, my love.”_

_“Even you?”_

_“Even me.”_

Lady met the ice with fire and used the sword to splash the melted puddle towards her. As the droplets were suspended in the air, lightning crackled and struck the water and created currents in the air. Using the residual heat from the lightning, the fireball she launched grew into a storm and surrounded Onna. There was only a time limit of four seconds until the fire died down to an acceptable visibility and she had to make as much of this opportunity as she could. 

Of course, Onna expected an attack and only the front sash of her kimono was met with a vertical slice as Lady dashed into the fire and failed her killing blow. A golden object flew out of the inner sewn pocket of her kimono and clattered onto the ground as the fire died down. They both stopped to see what it was that interrupted their battle with only Onna freezing up when she saw what it was. 

A musical locket hung upon with its surface scratched up and the names engraved onto it now barely legible. It was the gift her husband gave to her on their anniversary; a custom locket he crafted when their daughter was born. Something warm dripped from her eye as she heard the faint and dying tune that played from it. The glow in her eyes grew dim for a split second as past memories flooded what remained of her soul. Who she once carried and coddled as a child, she rose a blade against as an adult. It was something a mother never wanted to do.

_“I’m tired, can we go home?”_

_Onna sighed then nodded, taking her daughter’s hand in hers. “Very well. Let’s go home.”_

The sword pierced Onna’s stomach. 

They both stood there as the final gusts of burning wisteria blossoms floated to the ground in the aftermath with only the sword connecting them together. She didn’t have the strength to look her mother in the eye, not even after all this time. Blood traveled down the length of the sword, as red as any other human’s. It stained her skin darker and she could only stand to watch the individual drops form a puddle between them. 

As she looked at the ground, she saw Onna take a step towards her and immediately turned her head up. Bit by bit, Onna dragged her own body against the blade, thrusting it more into her stomach. 

“What are you doing?!” 

When her body meld with the hilt of her own sword, Onna wrapped her hands around her daughter in a cold embrace. Her chin rested on her shoulder as she continued to hug her, tears running down her face in an endless stream. “You did good.” Her voice was raspy and weak, making Lady’s tears gather and fall. 

She wanted to say something, _anything_ \- but the words didn’t come and she could only hope this moment could last just a second longer. 

Soon, she could feel Onna’s body grow limp against hers. Her arms that once embraced her fell to her sides, no longer being supported by a living thing. 

All at once, the pain wrenched from her heart and unleashed to wreak havoc on her body and spirit. Her hands, heavy and soiled with the sin of matricide, gripped onto the dead body in front of her as she collapsed to her knees. A mixture of a sob and scream tore from her throat, voicing all of her misery into one dissonant sound. 

*******

As soon as time passed as it normally would, Jecht found Lady clutching Onna in the courtyard. Her face covered in both tears and blood as she held onto what little remained. When he pried her apart, he saw how her eyes grew dim and glassy, and how her lips trembled as if being strained from the inside. Then he saw Onna, how her face was resting peacefully in stark comparison to her daughter’s. 

They kept the funeral small, with only him, Auron, Braska, and Lady. No one else was required for the goddess’ funeral. Knowing Onna, it was what she would have wanted. A silent ceremony with not a priest in sight. 

Auron and Braska stood together as Lady gave them a wide berth. Jecht carried Onna’s body in his arms one last time and slowly entered the ocean. If there was another thing he knew about this woman, it was that she loved the ocean. As the waves lapped up his torso, he brought his forehead down to meet hers in goodbye. 

“Who knew you’d be the first out of the four of us to go?” he whispered to her and so he lowered her body into the cold seawater, letting her go one last time. 

Her long hair curled in the waves, flowing around her as her body seemed to disappear in the darkness of the depths. The red of her lipstick and sash around her kimono stood out proudly even as the black shades devoured any form of color in their presence. After all of their years traveling together, him, Auron and Braska bid their final goodbyes. 

When Jecht turned back to the shore, he saw that Lady was gone. He didn’t blame her, not one bit. It was already enough that she had to bury one parent, let alone two. 

*******

Lady finished her letter, staring at the words and crossing them out until all she was looking at was an ugly mixture of lines over sentences. Deciding against it, she crumpled it up and tossed it towards the trash. Unfortunately, she missed and watched it bounce off the rim and onto the floor. She gave her room a once over and looked out the window, seeing the city of Insomnia shrouded in perpetual darkness. There were so many things she wanted to do, to see, to say- but the time for that had expired. 

She left the room untouched, only taking one thing with her: Onna’s sword. It remained strapped to her back and felt heavier than most things that she carried in life. But it was the baggage that accompanied it that made it so unbearable. Exiting the Citadel was no trouble at all, as most had tried getting sleep at this time of the night, a thing she was grateful for. 

The rest of the journey to the edge of the city shared that quiet sentiment, until footsteps following her made her stop in her tracks. Turning around, she lamented when she saw just who it was stalking her in the darkness. 

“You’re leaving, aren’t you?” Roxas said, his words ready to accuse as if she was committing an act most foul. 

“I have to.”

“You don’t.” His fists fell to his side, balling up tightly until the tips of his knuckles went white. “Stay here. We can figure something out.”

“Roxas..we don’t stand a chance.” Inside, she panicked. The longer they were out here, the more likely they were to be exposed and the more people would appear to try and convince her to come back. “Not against Bahamut, not like this. I have to go.”

She saw his fists relax slightly and his face turn towards the ground. Then, he spoke, as she heard his voice tremble. “Don’t go,” he pleaded quietly. “Please don’t leave again.” Roxas approached and she allowed it. A part of her hated herself for always causing him this pain. Instead of speaking, she placed a hand on his head and ruffled his hair as she did before when he was younger. 

Not waiting any longer, he released the tethers that held back his ambitions and he wrapped his arms around her to pull her close against him. His lips crashed onto hers and for a moment she froze, not knowing what to do. After a few moments, she returned the gesture and gently pushed back against his kiss, encouraging him to deepen it. Soon he felt salt trickle in between the seams and felt her tears make trails down his cheeks; he reached up to wipe them away, swearing to himself that he would do his best to catch every tear she released.

“Please stay,” he begged her between kisses and tight holds that grew in intensity for fear that she would somehow slip through. “Please. I love you so much.”

“That’s not fair,” she said through a strained, tear-stained smile. “Don’t say that so suddenly.”

“But it’s not sudden,” he leaned downwards so that his forehead pressed against hers. “I’m in love- I’ve _been_ in love. I never had the chance to confess until now.” She kept shaking her head as more tears spilled out and he wiped them with his thumb or kissed them away without fail. “Stay with me. We can figure something out, I’ll protect you.” 

“I wish that we could,” she whispered with nary a breath left. “I really do.”

“We can. I know we can.”

She studied his face once more and reached up to kiss his forehead. “I hope you have pleasant dreams, Roxas.”

“No, wait-“

Roxas felt fatigue overwhelm him. He staggered backwards and tried to pinch himself back awake- but none of his usual tactics refused to work. His eyelids felt new with weight and he struggled to keep them open until finally they shut against his will and collapsed onto the ground. 

Roxas wanted to call her name one last time, but his lips refused to move; as if they had completely disregarded his ownership when he left them on hers. 

*******

Roxas woke in his own bed. He immediately threw off the sheets and rushed outside his room, hoping that he was only out for a few minutes. If he was, he could still catch up to her.

Lea looked up at him from his phone. “Hey, bud. What’s up?”

“How long have you been sitting there?” 

“Dunno. Couple hours, why?” 

Roxas ignored him and opened a dark corridor to Lady’s room. Once there, his heart sank when it greeted him with silence. He collapsed onto her desk chair and covered his face with his hands. There was no way. This couldn’t be happening. 

When he got up to pace, his foot kicked something and he looked down to see a crumpled piece of paper. He picked it up and unraveled it carefully, his breath growing rapid when he saw the handwriting. 

~~_If you’re reading this, I want you to know I have no regrets._ ~~

~~_There were times in my life that made me question if the life I led was a good one._ ~~

~~_There were even times where the thoughts of dying seemed more inviting than living another day._ ~~

~~_Unfortunately, it seems that I won't find out what that type of peace is._ ~~

~~_But I want everyone to know, all the memories I had with all of you- they were the happiest I’ve ever felt in my life._ ~~

~~_Thank you._ ~~

*******

A cool chill brushed through the thick black strands of Kuron’s hair. It was another moonless night and in the darkness, only his red eyes were made visible along with the pale glow of his alabaster shaded skin. In front of him, Lady stared out into the open sea where the dark horizons of both water and sky met with a seamless kiss. Kuron didn’t say anything. Not even her name. 

It was fitting that she never chose to be summoned by her true name. Such things invoked power and now that belief would be made a reality

After a few more moments of staring into the endless black, she turned around and took a seat in front of Kuron. Her bottom met with a piece of flattened stone that was weathered and smoothed by the constant assaults from the ocean. To match the texture of her seat, she smoothed out her clothes and folded her hands neatly in her lap. 

“I’m ready.”

Kuron bowed his head, taking the sword in his hand and unsheathing the blade. For a moment he saw the glare of his red eyes in the steel and witnessed the despair in them. 

“Will it hurt?”

“I’m afraid so,” he murmured. 

“A lot?”

“..Yes.” He couldn’t bear to watch this happen again, but he had no choice nor say in the matter. “Worry not, I’ll attempt to make this as painless as possible.”

“Don’t hold back.” She eyed the tip of the blade. “I want to remember what this feels like.”

Kuron brushed her hair back, looking deep into her eyes and seeing that she too was filled with despair. “As you wish.” The tip of the blade kissed the spot right above her heart. “Good night, my lady.” 


	40. XL

“Smile!” The flash went off, blinding Roxas even more as sunlight filtered into the room where all the boys gathered. Today they had suits on, each doing their best to look fit for the occasion. “Man,” Lea took out the picture from the camera, waiting for the film to develop. “Guess you were the lucky one out of all of us, huh Rox?”

“Got that right.” Xigbar clapped him on the soldier. “As they say, may the best man win.”

“Wish it were me,” Emyd sighed. 

“Yeah, right,” Roxas scoffed as he fixed his tie in the mirror. “None of you ever stood a chance.”

“Don’t be so sure,” Isa replied from the back. “There would still be time to elope I imagine.”

Rould chuckled. “Wouldn’t that be a sight? Something to get a good laugh from.”

“Riiiightt. That’s the part where I would kill you bastards and run back with my fiancée in hand.” Roxas grinned at them. “Where’s everyone else?”

“Aeleus and Dilan are already there running security, Lauriam is making sure the floral arrangements aren’t falling apart, Xemnas and Ansem are already there- making sure everything is going according to schedule. As for the girls.. you know where they are already.” Ienzo spoke, his hair falling over one eye and brushing it back for the third or perhaps fourth time. 

Roxas beheld them. “You guys really okay with me going through this?”

“Listen, kiddo, you know how we felt about her-“ Xigbar motioned to himself before everyone else in the room. “How we  _ all  _ felt. You just beat us to it, no hard feelings.”

“But hey, if you somehow manage to roll over and die. I’ll be next in line to take care of her,” Lea winked. 

Roxas rolled his eyes and smiled. “In your dreams.”

The clock struck, signaling the boys that it was 2pm and that it was time to go. “Right then,” Rould stood up, fixing his jacket. “Shouldn’t keep the bride-to-be waiting.”

This event took place in Radiant Garden. Roxas saw no other place being as worthy as this one, with the town’s flowing fountains and well-kept gardens. A chapel was erected near the town’s edge, overlooking the expansive lake that the Garden was surrounded by. All throughout the town were garlands hung up, intertwined with flowers shaped like a white star. 

“Alstroemerias?” Memories of his time with his friends back at the apartment resurfaced along with the moments when he first fell in love. 

“Her and Lauriam went to pick some for today. It makes for a lovely centerpiece,” said Rould. 

“Nice day for a wedding.” Lea opened the chapel doors, striding in to look at the empty pews. “Thought the others would be here by now.”

“Sorry we were late!!” A bundle of black with spiked brown hair burst in behind them. Behind that were Riku and Kairi. “Had to pick up something for a gift.”

“Late again, huh?” Roxas reached forward to grab Sora’s hand. “Should’ve known.”

“Come on, I’m not that late! Besides, you know I wouldn’t miss  _ your  _ wedding, Roxas!” Sora handed him a box wrapped in white paper and blue ribbons. “Congratulations!!”

“We’re really excited for you,” Kairi added with a smile. 

Riku nodded, their past transgressions not getting in the way of this day. “Take care of her for us.”

“You know I will.”

Ienzo felt a change in the wind as three gliders descended from the air and landed not too far from them. Aboard them were four armored warriors that was replaced by a spiffed-up Aqua, Terra, Ven and Vanitas as their metal dress disappeared into light.

“Heeeey guys!” Ven ran ahead and slapped Roxas on the back. “Look at you- you clean up nice!”

“We got you a gift too,” Aqua motioned to the sizable box Terra held in his arms. “From all four of us and Masters Eraqus and Xehanort.” 

“That old codger?” Roxas scoffed. “Sheesh. He really got whipped into shape.” 

“Can you blame him?” Xigbar chimed in. 

“Ah, Aqua! The girls should be in the bride’s room!” Kairi tugged on the sleeve of Aqua’s dress. “We should head over now. Xion, Elrena and Naminé are waiting for us.”

As the deduction of two members only left the boys to themselves, Terra offered the groom his congratulations. “Hey, you did good.”

Roxas took his hand. “Thanks.”As soon as he let go, he caught a glimpse of silver hair in the distance and the unmistakable figure of what was once their leader. “Xemnas. You actually did come.”

“I did not want to miss it.” What he really meant was that he didn’t want to miss seeing her. Xemnas retained his proud figure and coy half-smile that always seemed to be degrading regardless of circumstance. “Number XIII, Roxas. Congratulations on this momentous occasion.”

Roxas stared into his eyes, swallowing a lump in his throat. He originally didn’t want him here, but his bride-to-be insisted. If they wanted to invite allies and friends, then  _ everyone _ should be invited. Even friends that he once considered an enemy. “Thanks.”

“We know you’ll protect her.”

“Yeah, Roxas of all people can do it.”

“Better not mess up.”

“Or else we’ll step in!”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Roxas looked down for a moment, remembering their time together. “But seriously, guys, thanks. I didn’t think we’d have this- a happy ending. For everything we’ve sacrificed, it was worth it.” He turned his head up to regard them, all of them. “Wouldn’t have been here if it wasn’t for you all.” 

“Don’t get teary eyed before the service, bud,” Lea sniffed, his own eyes watering. “Sheesh, making  _ me _ cry over here.”

“Come on, let’s wait inside before he breaks out the waterworks.” Xigbar brushed past him as all the others filed in line behind him, finding their places in the pews as they awaited their beloved bride. The clock struck half past two and Roxas fidgeted with the lapel of his white suit while Lea made sure his black tie was in place before they heard the double doors of the chapel opening. 

A door of light greeted the guests before two girls moved through, scattering white petals along the red carpet. Aqua and Kairi smiled shyly while Elrena had a subtle upturned line on her lips as they let the fragrant flowers fall to the ground and marking the path for the one behind them. 

It was the opening to something absolutely magical and when Roxas saw the next person, he held his breath. 

Magical, indeed. That was the only proper adjective he could find that described his bride-to-be. A white veil covered her head, semi-opaque and giving way to a sheer view of her face; her dress was long and trailed behind her, with both Xion and Naminé carrying either side of the train that glimmered in the sunlight. In her hands was a bouquet of alstroemerias, the sign of their bonding together over the years. Never had he imagined that he would live this moment, receiving the hand of the woman he loved after all this time. 

She stopped directly in front of the altar, waiting for Xion and Naminé to let the dress fall and file in their seats. Stepping onto the altar, she faced her soon-to-be husband and through the veil, he saw her smile. 

As per the request, Ansem the Wise, lord of the castle in Radiant Garden, officiated their wedding. Again, despite Roxas’ initial disdain for her choice, she insisted. On account of her vehemence towards her one rule: ‘No priests’. 

Roxas grabbed her hands, his face hurting as he never smiled this much in his life. 

“Do you, Roxas, take this woman to become your lawfully wedded wife?”

“I do,” he said immediately. There was nothing he wanted more. 

“And do you,” Ansem the Wise turned to her, speaking her true name for all to hear, “take this man to become your lawfully wedded husband?”

“Of course.” 

The only thing the Keyblade Wielder felt right now as happiness. Unadulterated, untainted joy. So much, in fact, that he did not notice the sun set despite it only being two in the afternoon. 

“Do you promise to cherish each other no matter the perils thrown your way?”

Darkness settled in faster now. Seeping into the chapel like a monster wandering in. One-by-one, the pews in the back began to rot; the wood caving in itself as the night touched it. 

“Do you swear to stand at each other’s side, even should darkness surround you?”

The guests in the back were swallowed up by the encroaching monster, feeding it and becoming accelerated in age. Their features, once youthful and bright, grew gray before disappearing completely and leaving only dust in their wake. 

“Then I hereby announce your marriage official. For you to love and appreciate the minutes you have left together.” 

Roxas frowned. That didn’t sound quite right. When he faced Ansem, he was stopped short as the elderly gentleman was no longer there. Only a pile of dust with the clerical robe he wore remained. Bewildered, he looked to the crowd and saw no one there besides the reminders of their bodies. Finally, even though he was frightened his bride shared their fate; but to his relief, found that she remained exactly as she was when their wedding started. 

Her dress was uncontaminated and in the same clean state it was before the chapel lost its light. But he didn’t see his face yet. His hands shook uncontrollably as he lifted the veil, a breath of relief escaping him after he saw that Lady was completely unaffected. Looking as radiant and spry the second he married her. 

Though that relief was short-lived as he looked down at the hands that lifted her veil and saw that they were not his own. 

“Til death do us part,” she murmured, pressing her cheek into his palm. “I’ll love you for the rest of my days.”

The hands she held were gray and leathery and spotted. It couldn’t be his. When he stole a glance in her irises, catching his reflection. Instead of the face of a young man- there was an elderly individual staring back at him. 

“Lady-?”  _ What’s wrong with my voice? _ It sounded raspy and hollow. 

“The years haven’t been kind to you. But it’s alright, I still love you.” Her smile was forced though there was clear just how much pain was in her eyes. “Roxas, I love you so much.” 

“W-what’s happening?” His limbs creaked, almost giving in on itself as he tried to latch onto her. 

“We both knew this was coming,” she spoke through a fit of tears. “I warned you.” 

“What are you talking about? What do you mean?!” Roxas’ last words were crumbling just as his skeleton was. “Wait, I don’t want to leave you-!” 

Lady leaned forward, leaving a kiss on his lips before the rest of his flesh grew weary and wore away to dust. In the chapel, only she remained, still in her wedding dress even long after all the guests and her husband left her. She sat on the stairs on the altar, holding the skull in her arms as the foundation of the building crumbled around her. 

*******

Roxas woke up in a gasp, his hands feeling his face and sighing when he felt plump skin underneath his fingers. Next, he felt his heart. It was pounding against his chest, begging to be let out to catch a whiff of fresh air as his anxiety rose and fell in unpleasant waves. The banging on the door didn’t help. 

Throwing the door open, he shouted. “What?!” 

Xion, accustomed to his sour moods, stared back at him with an unimpressed glare. “There’s a meeting if you didn’t remember. Everyone that can use magic needs to be there.”

“Don’t want to.” The closing door was caught by her foot wedged between. 

“I know you’re hurting, Roxas,” she hesitated. “But you still need to do your duty.”

“‘Duty’? What duty is that?” He let the door fall and began pacing in his room. “You’re not stupid, Xion, you see it too. We’re all fucked.”

Xion stayed in the door frame. “You know that’s not true. La-” she stopped mid-sentence after he glared, “- _ she _ wouldn’t have wanted us to give up.” 

“She gave up,” he uttered hatefully. “She gave up on us and did things herself. Like always. What makes you think anything we do matters?”

“..The meeting’s in five minutes.” Xion closed the door, leaving him alone. 

*******

“I was made aware that you all practiced magic with at least an adept level. We could use that to erect a shield first.” Braska stood at one end of the table. His face was even more downturned than usual, as were the other two beside him. “Then.. Cor, do you have anything to add?” 

“The arcane isn’t my specialty, your advice would be better suited,” the commander replied. 

“Well then, I don’t have much else to add except..” Braska stopped when the double doors to the room flung open, revealing Roxas with a rather stormy expression on his face. “Except for the fact that Bahamut employs magic of the extreme nature, for this I’m sure you all already know.”

Braska stopped again when he saw Aerith, Zack, and Genesis. “Is that really all the magic users from your group?”

“Sephiroth would join us but his skills are better when using a sword. Aerith, Zack, and I will make up for the lack of numbers, don’t worry,” Genesis replied. 

“And you? I thought you weren’t very good at magic?” Braska asked Zack. 

“I am now.” His eyes flashed a deep purple for a second. “With some help.”

One glance around the room told him of the total number of magic users that were available. The total was 11. Their chances were looking more grim by the minute, but Braska kept this little fact to himself. 

Another joined their ranks in the form of a Glaive named Crowe. One of the only ones in their ranks that could use magic freely. “Sir,” she saluted Cor. 

“Find anything?”

“No. It’s the same as before, her trail ends exactly where the bridge starts. Like she disappeared.”

Roxas’ ears perked up at this. “Did you find any new clues at least?”

Cor and Crowe gave him a sorry glance until the Glaive shook her head. “No. Sorry.” 

“Try again. I’ll come with you this time.” Roxas stood up as Xion tried to reach forward to pull him back. “She couldn’t have gotten far.”

“Roxas,” Xion whispered. “Please.”

“Don’t you care, Xion?” He turned to face her and looked up at all of them. “Don’t any of you  _ care? _ ” 

“We do!” Genesis made a sour face, his hand covering all but one eye that bore into the blond. “But there’s nothing we can do about it now! How long has it been? A week? She could be anywhere by now!” 

“And we don’t have the time to search,” Cor confirmed. “We’re stretched thin as it is. To have more of our forces diverted for a chase.. It would leave us stranded. The monsters patrolling near our city give us enough trouble as it is.”

Braska’s face softened. “I know you care for her, we all do. But believe me when I say this: if she doesn’t want to be found, she won’t be.” 

Roxas sat back down, defeated, and hung his head in his hands. 

“Don’t fret, that girl.. She always walked her own path alone. We just have to make do without her now.” 

“That would be wise to do.” A window burst open as a large crow flew in, carried by a gust of wind. Black feathers scattered to the ground as Kuron arose from the shroud of darkness, his glowing red eyes piercing those who saw him. 

“Kuron-” Braska was hesitant. “Why are you here?” 

“I came to retrieve something,” the familiar answered, stalking over to Aerith and extending his hand. “The white materia- hand it over.” 

“What? No way.” Aerith backed up. “My mom gave it to me, I can’t just give it up!”

“I could care less if you had to pry the thing from your mother’s dying grip,” he growled. “I won’t ask again.”

“You won’t have to.” Zack and Genesis stood in front of her. 

Kuron appeared annoyed, greatly so. “Please step out of the way, I don’t want to have to get my hands dirty.”

“Familiar, why are you here?” Braska repeated. 

Kuron stared directly at Aerith. “On orders.” 

“From who?” 

Kuron didn’t answer. Instead, he lunged forward, passing by Genesis and Zack in a cloud of darkness before rematerializing directly behind Aerith. “Where have you hidden it?” His eyes moved up to the knot that held her braid together. “Ah. There.” A knife slid out the sleeve of his jacket and he sliced upwards until her hair came down in a tumbled mass of brown waves.  Something clattered to the ground, bouncing to a still until it rolled towards the center of the room. A solid, white orb that hummed with gentle magic.  He raised his hand up to snap just as everyone made ready to lunge at him. The sound of a clock striking had them all frozen, forced to watch him walk over to the materia and picked it up with his thumb and forefinger. He observed it briefly before pocketing it. He snapped again to allow time to return back to normal and the inhabitants of the room to regain their breath. 

“Stop..please! My mom-” Aerith coughed into her arm, feeling air enter her lungs again. “My mom left me that!” 

“Do you think familial relations will make me rethink my actions? I could care less if the human race perished.” Kuron bared his teeth slightly. “Humans are just so.. nugatory.”

“You came here on orders,” Roxas wheezed, “right? Take me to her- I need to know if she’s okay!” 

Kuron’s eyes glimmered with subtle anger and his teeth became more visible, but still he gave no answer. 

“Please. I’m begging you.” 

“Who is it that you wish to see?”

“Don’t fuck with me! You know who I’m asking for!”

Kuron sighed, glancing at him with a sharp perk of his brow. “You want to see her? Very well.” He turned, retrieving something from inside of his coat without them seeing. At last he turned around, holding something in his palm. Something red, something  _ alive _ . 

Xion’s hand flew to her mouth. “You-you’re kidding..” 

“Is this a sick joke?” Genesis growled. 

“Kuron..” Braska said slowly. “What did you do?!”

“I thought this might’ve been the easiest way to kill a human.” He turned the heart over in his hand then looked straight at Roxas. “Was I right?”

“Bastard!” Two Keyblades came to his hand as he jumped towards the familiar. “I’ll kill you!” 

Kuron stepped to the left, missing a hit from Roxas just as Xion appeared at his blind spot with her blade out and eyes set to maim. Catching the Keyblades just as they were about to hit him, Kuron saw something flash and saw the forming of a fireball launching towards him. The fire left a scorch on the floor and as Genesis got ready to throw another one, the window burst open and Kuron fled the room in the form of a crow. 

“Don’t let him get away!” Genesis shouted at them and they followed. Down the hall, footsteps echoed theirs and they saw Jecht leading Noctis, Ignis, and Angeal. “What happened?”

Noctis pointed towards the exit. “Umbra took the Ring of the Lucii- we have to hurry and get it back!” 

Roxas sped past them, opening up a corridor to reach the courtyard faster. He emerged first, with the rest of them behind and following. There, under the middle of the courtyard was Kuron, Umbra, Gentiana, and Pryna. The four of them were talking amongst themselves as they arrived and only when Roxas summoned his weapon by his side did they look up. Umbra handed the ring to Gentiana while Kuron handed the white materia to Pryna. 

“Kuron, what’s the meaning of this?” said Braska. 

“Gentiana,” Noctis called for the Messenger. “I need the ring back, please.”

“She is sorry,” Gentiana turned her head down. “The Messenger cannot give it back.”

“Sorry..!” Pryna had pure anguish on her face. “We’re really sorry!!” This caused Kuron to silently scold the young familiar and forcing her to look away. 

“Why?” Ignis interjected. “Why disobey the Caelum line now? What reason could you possibly have?” 

Kuron raised a hand in front of Gentiana before she could reply. “We serve a new purpose now, no need to listen to the words belonging to a line that proved inefficacy in every duty they’ve performed.” 

Ignis had a scowl on his face, a rare sight. “You would speak ill of Noctis and King Regis?”

“We would,” Kuron responded quickly. “For what is a king to a god?” 

In his hand, he held out the heart, lifting it up for all to see. “We humble servants of the gods make this offering to the true king of the heavens- Bahamut! In exchange for our safety, we request your protection from your own divine wrath!” 

“You little-” Jecht started forward, only to be held back by Braska. “After everything Onna did for you, after all the time you spent taking care of her family?! You..you’re a real sonuva bitch you know that, Kuron?” 

The crystal ring in Gentiana’s hand began to pulse and glow; scattering a light in the courtyard that blinded all those who were in it. 

“It is just as you said, my lord. Onna’s daughter attempted to complete the final summoning on herself to ascend to godhood!” Kuron lifted the heart towards the light. “But rest easy- for her body could not withstand the ritual. I made sure of that.”

“You  _ killed _ her?!” Jecht roared. “How could you?! What have you done?!”

None of them answered as Kuron’s summoned orb grew brighter and intensified before it burst into darkness, obscuring everyone’s vision. 

Used to the obfuscatory factor of the void, a sole figure moved in haste. Two Keyblades formed at his hands as he aimed them for the four divine servants. Roxas’ Keyblade nearly touched the familiar as he drove the weapon with hate. It almost struck him, until something else appeared at the tip of his blade and he skidded to a halt. In front of him was Lady, blood dried in lines down her lips and a gaping hole where her heart had once been. Her eyes were nearly closed, but from what little seam was available to see, he saw that they were glazed over and lifeless. Roxas dropped his keyblades, raising his arms to catch her as she fell forward. 

As soon as the darkness lifted, those that were there saw Roxas on his knees with a new corpse in his arms.

_ “The Draconian will make his move soon. What will you do then?”  _


	41. XLI

Anguish never tasted so bitter. 

Roxas could only bare to hold onto the woman he cherished with all of his being all the while struggling not to let rip another scream from his throat. His heart that once was given to him by her, filled with hope and love, was now empty and dark as the first day he woke up as a Nobody.

“Kid. Kid!” Jecht tried to pry him from her corpse, struggling to keep him still as he struggled with much force. 

“Let me go!”

“Kid, she’s  _ dead _ !” He roared, quelling Roxas’ movements. “There’s nothing you can do. Leave it be.”Roxas body went limp, making Jecht let him go and pick up Lady’s body instead. “I’m sorry,” he muttered as he closed her eyes and turned to nod at Braska. “I’ll bury her. She should be with her mother.”

“Wait,” Angeal pushed through, his slow pace turning to a sprint as he stopped in front of Jecht. “I- is this really her?” He studied her body, seeing a multitude of burn marks grace her skin. “What happened?” There was cauterized flesh over a portion of her neck, wrists and legs. It almost made her appear unidentifiable if it wasn’t for the fact that the majority of her face was left untouched- except for the splotches of blood decorating her cheeks.

“I’ll bury her,” Jecht repeated. “Go back inside.”

“Wait. Let us go with you,” Angeal pleaded. “Please. She’s very dear to us.” 

The lapse of judgement from Jecht allowed all of them their final moment of grief. But perhaps it was too much, as he looked upon their crestfallen faces while he buried her body within the murky depths of the sea- he could see their hope dwindle. All of them wanted to say something, to ease each other’s pain; but no one said anything for fear of ruining the delicate silence that hovered in the space between. 

Someone who was once thought to be rather indestructible and invincible was now floating down to the dark leagues; leaving behind a score of people that would follow her into the depths of hell if they could.  The words they wanted to say, the confessions they wanted to pass unto her- that chance was now lost as the cold wind swept up their voices. All the while Bahamut watched the events unfold from afar. Reveling in the death of the enemy he sought so much.

*******

The funeral made the day darker, as if that were possible. It only served to fill the void in their hearts that was continuously shrouded the day the sun disappeared. They filed in the makeshift room, with heavy feet trudging in and equally downcast faces. Their collective dream that their lady would come back to them unharmed and with a plan proved to be in vain; a fact that some of them had not yet accepted but were slowly realizing the truth of it. 

“So,” Noctis spoke up. “Is there really nothing we can do?” 

“We’ll find a way,” Ignis assured him, but he wasn’t so confident either. “It’ll take a matter of preparation..and..” He stopped. The words he was coming up didn’t seem to make such sense right now. 

“We’re all that’s left,” Tifa whispered, hugging Cait Sith tightly. “I can’t believe she’s gone..”

“It really is hard to imagine anyone could’ve killed her,” Isa admitted.

Gladio scowled. “That’s why her being betrayed by someone she trusted just straight pisses me off.”

They all took a moment to look at one another. The fear was evident in their eyes and their choices were clear: Either they cowered and congregated in fear while the days of humankind marched to the end.. Or, they fight back. 

“There was no sword with her to bury,” Auron walked to the front of the room. “In Spira- that’s an insult beyond compare. Kuron must’ve taken her sword along with her remaining summon. The coward.” 

“Shit,” Jecht tugged on his hair. “How can we not see it coming? It doesn’t make sense that Kuron would just turn on her like that. Onna wouldn’t allow it.”

“Maybe because Madame Onna already died,” Genesis pointed out. “His loyalty was no longer required.” 

Jecht shook his head. “You don’t understand. Kuron swore his allegiance to Onna as well as her daughter. Ever since Lady was born, Kuron watched over her without ever complaining.” 

“So much for that,” Roxas scoffed. “He took everything and showed no remorse too. Adding salt to the wound.”

“There’s one thing that I don’t understand.” Sephiroth stared at the floor, mako eyes studying the scuffs on his steel-toed boots. “Why take the white materia? What’s its purpose?”

“Umbra took the Ring of the Lucii, too,” Noctis added.

“The Ring of the Lucii holds the strength of the previous kings of Lucis. It can summon powers from the rulers of yore- as well as draw enegry from the Crystal.” Luna spoke to them with authority on the matter. “It was granted to the first human king as a gift from Bahamut so that the royal line may commune with the gods.” 

“Probably gonna give it back to Bahamut, right?” Zack turned to Aerith. “But what about that white materia. Do you know what it does?”

Aerith was flustered. “No. My mom didn’t know either. It was just an heirloom. I didn’t think it had any use at all to be completely honest.” 

“Maybe their goal was just to demoralize us,” Ignis said with his finger tapping against his glasses. “Take away anything we might’ve utilized in the coming battle.” 

“Really? As if killing Lady wasn’t demoralizing enough?” Lea sighed. “Roxas was right. They're just adding salt to the wound.”

Cor looked at the map in front of him, sprawled out on the oak table before he looked up at all of them. “This is all we have left. We have to do all we can with it.”

“Agreed,” Xion nodded. “I think.. The last thing Lady would want us to do is to give up. She did her best and it wouldn’t be fair if we didn’t put in the same effort.” 

“She sure as hell wouldn’t,” Xigbar had a small smile on his face. “So- tell us how you four took down Bahamut last time. Maybe it’ll give us an idea on where to start.”

Auron, Jecht, and Braska shared a glance that teleported them back in time some thirty odd years. “That was a long time ago,” Jecht huffed. “We were way younger then. But we defeated Bahamut because we performed the Final Summoning.” 

“That’s what she was trying to do, right?” Elrena asked. “Before that shady butler decided to end her.”

“Right,” Braska agreed. “The Final Summoning requires a summoner, like me, to forge a sort of spiritual contract with a person of their choosing. From there, the summoner’s chosen must undergo a transformation. In exchange for their heart, they can retain the power of a god, but only for a limited time until their task is finished. Onna was the exception. Had she not found out what Bahamut did to the faithful, she too would’ve let the gods take her life.” Braska closed his eyes, remembering that event like it was yesterday. “But she could not watch it happen. She decided to fight.”

“You were wrong to assume that it was us four that took down the Draconian,” Auron told Xigbar. “It was Onna and her alone. We could only watch while they tore apart the earth in order to kill each other.” 

“The ritual is risky. We best forget about it. Besides, my powers are not what they were thirty years ago and there won’t be time to find another experienced summoner.” Braska hurried along the conversation, not failing to notice Yuna, his daughter, step forward. When she opened her mouth to speak, he sighed regretfully. Somehow he sensed that this day would come. 

“I can do it. I can perform the Final Summoning.” Yuna had her hand over her heart. “I’ve been training my whole life for this, father. Please allow me to do this.”

“Yuna..” Braska pleaded quietly. “The Summoning could kill you too, you realize this?”

“If my friend could throw away her life for a chance of saving everyone, why shouldn’t I do the same?” Yuna’s eyes burned fiercely and that’s when her father realized he could no longer discourage her. 

“Even if you could, you would need someone else to be your chosen,” Auron pointed out. “You would make someone else sacrifice their life?”

Yuna flinched. The thought of making another throw their life away wasn’t what she wanted. 

“I’ll be your chosen.” Roxas stepped forward where Yuna could see him. “Use me as your summon.”

“Roxas-!” Xion grabbed his elbow to hold him back. “You just got your heart back. It won’t be fair.” She inhaled sharply and pushed past him. “I’ll be the summon instead.”

“Hypocrite,” Roxas muttered under his breath. 

“No way.” Lea pulled both of them back. “I’m not letting you two sacrifice your lives.” The redhead had a sad smile on his face, “You’re still kids to me, with lives to live. Better let the older adults handle it.”

“If you’re settling on age then best let me go, Flamesilocks.” Xigbar bowed his head towards Yuna. “Old age won’t affect the success rate, right?” 

“No way, Xiggy.” Emyd shouted rather loudly over his offer. “You can pick from us too, Miss Summoner!” 

Elrena mumbled something under her breath. “Damn it.. Yeah, if you want someone powerful- pick me.”

“If a sacrifice is required,” Xemnas garnered their attention with his commanding voice. “Then I can become what you need.” 

“Well, looks like bossman is okay with it,” Xigbar gestured to the group behind him. “Take your pick, little miss summoner. You got all of us at your disposal.”

“Don’t forget about us too!” Sora raised his hand, waving it around to get Yuna’s attention. “We can fight!”

“Count us in,” Terra nodded to Sora and the other Keyblade wielders. “We won’t let you down. You have our word.”

“That’s great and all, but you’re missing one thing,” Jecht crossed his arms. “You have to have your whole being devoted to becoming a god. There can’t be a doubt in your heart. It has to be what you want.”

“You don’t get it, do you?” Ienzo said softly. “Years ago all of us-” he gestured to everyone from Radiant Garden, “-were heartless beings. We were just empty husks wandering.”

“Until we met Lady,” Xion smiled. “She gave us purpose.”

“When we fought that day with her, instead of bringing herself back to life..” Roxas closed his eyes, remembering. “She split her heart into fourteen pieces and gave us hers. We owe this much at least.”

“Hate to break it to ya, but you guys weren’t the only ones in that fight.” Gladio made sure his eyes bore into Yuna’s. “If you’re needing a strong summon, then pick me. I’ll make sure we see that Dragon fall.”

“I would have to disagree. Gladio, your duty is to protect Noct.” Ignis stood proudly beside his comrades. “If someone must go, I will do it.” 

“What-?! No, I can’t just let you guys do the work,” Noctis protested. “Honestly, it’s my fault for always making everyone around me work harder than they need to. I can go.” 

“Maybe you going isn’t such a good idea either.” Prompto bit his lip before speaking some more. “You need to continue the royal line, right? And Iggy and Gladio need to be there for you when you do, so…” Prompto stepped up. “I want to volunteer too.” 

Luna was next. “Lady Yuna, I would also like to extend my services too.”

“Lunafreya.” Ravus started. “You can’t. The Oracle is required, as much as the king, to carry on the legacy.”

“There won’t be a legacy to uphold if all of us perish regardless. This is what we must do!” 

Ravus ignored her. “If you consider my sister, let it be known that I will be the one to take her place.”

“Consider me as well.” All eyes turned to Sephiroth. “I would like to become your summon.” He saw how Yuna regarded him with slight terror, almost intimidated by his piercing eyes. “If it helps- she meant as much to me as she did to you.” 

Yuna relaxed, smiling gratefully at the soldier. “Thank you.”

“Then I want to go too,” said Angeal. “Let me be your summon.”

As always, Genesis was right beside his friends. “Don’t forget about me. If you’re needing some real power- then you should look no further.” 

Zack raised his hand. “I think I should do it instead. Lady saved my life.. It’s only right I repay her like this.” 

“Lady Yuna, would you consider me too?” Aerith waved to the summoner. “I didn’t know Lady for that long, but.. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to those she cared about most.” 

“Same here,” Tifa added. 

“Power is what’s needed in this fight,” Vincent’s low growl interrupted the girls. “I’ll go. With Chaos’ power, I’m sure it’ll be an easy win.”

“Dammit, y’all. You guys really making this hard on her.” Barret rubbed the back of his neck, seemingly thinking over something. “To hell with it. Make me a summon then, I want to fight back too for what that Dragon did to our home!”

“Lady Yuna,” Nyx had his hands behind his back. “If it’s not too much trouble, put me in that ring of people too. I’d give my life to protect this world.”

“Same as I,” Cor added in after. 

“If we’re going to die, might as well go out with a fighting chance.” Aranea smirked, “Count me in.”

Yuna was overwhelmed. Understandably so. “I.. I didn’t expect this much support for my decision.”

“Yuna,” Tidus stepped towards her to take her hand. “Remember that promise we made back at the island? That we’d bring our friend back home no matter what? Even if we failed, I’m with you all the way!” 

“Woah, hold on a damn minute.” Jecht grumbled to himself before addressing everyone else. “Before y’all throw your lives away, you need to realize what you’re putting at stake here. You’re giving your life, your  _ heart _ . For a single shot to kill Bahamut.” He held a finger up, “One single shot. After that, that’s it. No do-overs. If any of you fail, we all die.”

Everyone glanced to each other, nervous upon being made aware of the risks. 

“We know,” Yuna answered for them. “And yet we would all go through with this-” she faced the hall of faces, “-right?”

A chorus of agreements rang through the room. 

“You said it yourself, old man,” Aranea spoke. “If we’re all doomed anyways, might as well give Bahamut a run for his money.”

“She’s got the right idea!” Barret hollered, slamming his hand on his chest. “Ain’t no way we goin’ down without a fight!”

Yuffie climbed over his shoulders, raising her fist in the air. “If not for rubbing it in that god’s face, then at least do it for Lady and Onna!”

“Yeah.. For Lady and Onna.” Prompto’s eyes held perseverance as he had his chin up high. “They fought hard, it’s our turn now.”

Angeal could only agree. “This is what they would’ve wanted.”

Another chorus of agreements and cheers shook the halls, reinvigorating their spirits and renewing their light of hope. Yuna felt her heart swell, holding her hands together over her chest and beaming. “When my friend- when Lady left the islands, I thought the rest of the world would be just as cruel to her and I was afraid she’d be in trouble.. But seeing all of you here, I’m glad she’s made so many friends on her journey.” 

“So, who’s it gonna be, little miss summoner?” Xigbar prompted her and once again a hush fell over the room as Yuna’s eyes scanned the room. 

“This won’t be an easy decision for me to make,” she admitted quietly. “I believe I’ll need time to think this through.” 

“The lady summoner would be correct on that.” A figure clad in black emerged from the back of the room, only stopping to hang up his hat on the sword tip of a statue. 

Genesis’ brows fixed together. “Who would you be?”

Despite this black-clad figure’s unknown presence to nearly all, there were those who already knew him well. Noctis clenched his teeth together, holding it in so that he wouldn’t lash out, “The hell are you doing here?”

“Calm yourself, little prince,” Ardyn raised his hand to appease him. “I come here on terms bearing peace.”

Noctis scoffed loudly. “Yeah, right.”

Gladio took his place as Noctis’ shield. “If you’re planning to attack us, you’re pretty outnumbered.”

“On the contrary.” Ardyn was amused. “Had I wanted all of you dead, I would’ve done so already. But considering how I’ve stayed in this lovely city for a little over a month and your throats still aren’t slit, you could stand to trust me a bit more.” 

“A whole month- how?!” 

Ignis’ eyes met Ardyn’s and he scowled. Reaching over to Gladio, he shook his head for him to retreat his aggression. “He speaks true. Leave him be.”

Noctis was bewildered. “Ignis, what do you mean?”

“So,” Ardyn grinned. “She vouched for me, did she?”

“Even if Lady did, that does not give us grounds to trust you,” Ignis spat out the words with venom. Despite ordering Gladio to stand down, his whole body was ready for a fight in case the man tried it.

“You should be more welcoming to me, after all..” He turned his gaze towards Noctis. “We’re family.”

Noctis blinked, his eyes widening and looking to his closest confidants for confirmation. “..What?”

“The line of Lucis had more than one bloodline to start their royal lineage off with,” Ardyn held up two fingers with his smile twisted in a sick manner. “My younger brother, Somnus, had been assigned that honor with the gods’ blessing. Albeit it was a fabricated ascension.” 

“Somnus, the founder king?!” Gladio bared his teeth. “Then, you’re-”

“Ardyn Lucis Caelum,” he bowed his head. “At your service.”

“That’s a lie!” Noctis refused to believe it, that this man shared the same blood as he. 

Xion’s mouth fell agape. “That would mean that guy’s at least 2000 years old.”

Luna bit her lip. “He speaks the truth.” When Noctis turned his disbelief towards her, she felt guilt weigh her words down. “Before Somnus, there was another. It was him.”

“Wipe that frown off your face, Highness. I only came here to help.” Ardyn continued on, much to Noctis’ chagrin. “Though I do suppose my offering of the god Ifrit didn’t do much for her aid, after all.”

“You had the Infernian?” Cor’s mouth pulled into a tight line. “Then that means you were the one that attacked Insomnia three years ago.”

“It was indeed I who launched that assault.”

“Then tell us why we shouldn’t strike you down now,” Cor shot back. 

“Wait, I know you.” Auron peered at him over the rim of his spectacles. “Onna told us about you. The man marked by Bahamut with undeath.” 

“I’m honored the goddess of war even mentioned me at all! How truly humbling.” 

Gladio saw Ignis look away and caught his stare before he could. “Then you weren’t lying, Onna really was-”

“A god, yes.” Ardyn repeated loudly for everyone to hear. Jecht, Braska, and Auron bristled at his comment and he clicked his tongue. “Now now, transparency is required if you are to lead. You’d not told them?”

“Bastard.. Fine. Have it your way.” Jecht gritted his teeth then nodded to Braska and Auron. “What you’re hearing is right,” he said, louder this time. “Everyone knows of the Six already, but not everyone knew of a Seventh. I already told all of you, once you perform the Final Summoning, your life is forfeit. Onna was the outlier. She survived..and lived on, while also keeping the status of godhood.”

Xion let out a breath. “Then that means Lady.. No, that can’t be possible right?”

“She didn’t want anyone to know and neither did Onna, but,” Jecht sighed. “Seeing as how they’re both gone, might as well tell y’all what this war is really about.”

Auron continued where he left off. “Bahamut wanted Onna dead for her defiance. Once they fought but it ended in a standstill. After a while, Onna met her husband and they had a child. By all rights, that child shouldn’t have lived, but she did and because of that she too was marked for death.” 

“All for just being born? How cruel..” 

“It didn’t matter if she asked for it or not. There’s one thing Bahamut craves above all: order. The fact that Onna existed irked him, but for her to give birth to a possible Eighth? That was more than he could stand.” Auron’s finger traced the mouth of his flask. “I’m sure you all felt it. A presence when you were with her, strength or magic that you felt like wasn’t normal. That was the power of a god that slept inside of her.” 

“Would explain why Hojo and the other scientists at Shinra dropped their experiments when she came along,” Cait Sith hopped up, pivoting his whiskers towards Sephiroth, Angeal, and Genesis. “No offense. But compared to humans, a demi-god would be a much more fascinating subject!”

Ardyn moved towards Yuna and Cor made ready to draw his weapon. Stopping, he reached in his pocket to fetch a golden locket hanging on a chain. It opened and played a soft tune as a butterfly with translucent wings exited and hovered near the accessory, flying to the melody. “Recognize this?” 

Yuna gasped. “That’s Madame Onna’s!”

“Wrong, it was her daughter’s before she passed it onto me as insurance. In the case no one here believed me, I was to present this. I was also to present her evidence.”

Cor’s sword arm didn’t relax. “Evidence for what?”

“Before she left, she believed that Bahamut plans to convene along with Deepground’s hordes at the sight of the ruined mako city.”

“They want to fight there? At Midgar?” Aerith seemed worried. 

“It makes sense from a tactical standpoint,” Angeal assured her. “No one lives there anymore. No civilians would be harmed.”

“She passed this along to you?” Noctis’ voice rose. “Did you know she would die?”

“Are you using your head, little king? She wasn’t sure if she would make it back herself, thus why she entrusted me to deliver your message.” Ardyn tossed the locket to Yuna who caught it clumsily. “The gods who were on your side are all dead and gone. It would be wise if you counted all those here as your allies.”

Sephiroth wasn’t convinced. “Even you?” This made Ardyn’s grin widen. 

“Which brings me to my next point.” Ardyn regarded all of them. “If neither a full-fledged goddess or demi-god could bring down Bahamut, what makes any of you think that you possibly could?” 

The silence was telling. 

“Young summoner, you’ll have to make your choice regardless.” Ardyn motioned to the room. “Who is it that you plan to sacrifice?”


	42. XLII

_ “Wait- don’t go!!” An outstretched hand tried grabbing onto the sleeve of a kimono that was less than wearable. Evidence of a fire had stained the clothes and left ash between the fingertips of the person’s reaching grasp. The elements were seemingly working against Yuna no matter how fast she ran and though she was no master at physical activities- she sprinted with the urgency of the wind at her heels.  _

_ “Let me go with you!” Yuna’s path was ending quickly. The pier that held the boats leaving their island was short-lived. “Don’t leave!!” A 10-year-old’s legs weren’t the longest, and hers was no exception. Still, even as the figure she chased hopped into the boat shipping off, she dove into the water and waded through the waves. That soon proved to be even more troublesome as the dress she had on was meant more for a funeral than a swim.  _

_ Yuna’s head quickly submerged in the water and she saw her friend hesitate, about to jump in to save her before Yuna felt her body being dragged back onto the pier. Coughing out the sea, she pushed the hands off of her and cupped her hands around her mouth, calling her friend’s name. Panic overtook her when she didn’t hear a response back, until-  _

_ “We’ll meet again. I promise!”  _

“Summoner Yuna?” Cor’s voice dragged her from her daydreams. “We’re ready to go. Are you set?”

“Yes.” She got up, wrapping the chain of the locket around her fist and holding the metallic container deep in her palm. What was once cool to the touch now radiated heat as her own body kept the locket warm and smothered, hoping it would somehow emulate holding another hand. As soon as Cor left, she let her proud facade drop and stared at the locket in her hand. “I’m sorry. I have to choose one of the people you love. Forgive me.” 

Not far from them, the Keyblade wielders made their preparations. Sora fumbled with something strapped to his chest. “How do you activate this thing?” 

Aqua pursed her lips, looking more than a little worried. “Well, maybe it’s best if you don’t have armor on for this fight.. You’re used to fighting in those clothes, right?” 

“Yeah, adding on extra weight at the eleventh hour won’t do us any good.” Riku helped Sora out of his would-be armor. “Don’t worry, we’ll be fine without it.”

Cindy stopped walking past as they began chucking off their armor. “Going into a fight without some protection seems like a bad idea, fellas.”

“Don’t worry!” Sora beamed. “Our clothes are magic.”

Cindy nodded her head slowly. “Uh-huh…” She glanced around and took note of everyone else. It seemed like only those from SOLDIER were wearing some sort of protection, a whole chunk of others were only donning plainclothes. It made her nervous for the outcome. 

“Ooh, you guys look scary!” Yuffie exclaimed as Roxas tugged on his Organization coat. “Are those new?”

Roxas flipped the hood over his hair until it barely covered the tip of his nose. “Nope.” 

“It’s from an old life, but I guess we’ll need it again.” Xion zipped hers up, looking uneasy as she did. 

“Is everyone ready?” Cor announced loudly. 

“My ships’re ready to go, just give us the word,” Aranea called back, the last of her men packing in the weapons into the airship. 

Noctis stood with his father, his hand itching to give his sword a few practice swings. “You sure you want to come, dad?”

“Noctis, I may be old, but I can still fight.” Regis adjusted himself, feeling the weight of his son’s stare all the while. “If this is to be our last struggle for the world, I will do what I can.” 

“But the people here in Insomnia need you,” Noctis replied quietly. 

“My son.” Regis placed a hand on his shoulder. “If we do not succeed, there would be no one here that needs anything at all.” 

“Oh, how noble of you. Your sacrifice will surely be noted in the annals of history.” Ardyn approached, not missing how Noctis glared at him. “But fear not, surely the men of the Lucian family are capable of simple battle.”

“There is nothing ‘simple’ about this battle,” Regis shot back with venom in his voice. “It’s our last stand.” 

Ardyn smirked. “Then let’s hope those old bones of yours can hold up.” He turned his head towards Yuna. “Care to leave, young summoner?” 

“No way,” Noctis blocked his path to her. “You’re not going anywhere with anyone.”

“Little prince,” he greeted him with much chagrin behind a faux smile, “you mean to tell me you’re rejecting my help?” 

“Like we’d ever need your help,” Noctis’ itch for swinging his blade grew. “Like we’d ever want you around-!” 

“Noctis!” Regis put a hand over his chest. “Cease this. I understand your inhibitions. I do. But now is not the time. We will need all the help we can acquire.” He turned to Ardyn. “After all. Our goal is one and the same, are they not?”

“To kill a god? Why indeed, they are.” Ardyn walked towards one of the ships. “Let’s hurry and see how this ends.” He stopped when he neared Yuna. “Are you prepared?”

The summoner nodded and he waited for her to catch up to him. As Yuna watched Ardyn, she saw that the man that traded scalding insults with a king had melted away to form another facade. 

“Did you know her? Lady, I mean,” Yuna found the courage to ask. 

“I did,” came his curt reply. 

“Very well?”

“Perhaps.”

“...Did you love her?” 

Ardyn didn’t reply. 

**Several hours later…**

Yuna fiddled with the locket again, watching everyone set up their machines and weaponry. Their ships had landed just a couple thousand meters from the remains of Midgar. The tension throughout their personal army was thick though none of them chose to address it. Silence took over as everyone found something to be busy with to distract the overbearing and depressing thoughts that were more common than they knew. 

Angeal fiddled with a cannon, wrench in hand and soot on the bridge of his nose. “I think you got that part wrong,” Genesis said as he stood over him, supervising. 

Angeal stopped what he was doing, turned to look at him, unimpressed. “Do  _ you _ want to do this?”

“No. Carry on.”

Lea stopped, a box in his hands as he called out to them. “You sure you guys don’t need help with that?”

“We’re fine,” Genesis waved him away. “Go help the others.” He adjusted his old SOLDIER uniform, rolling his shoulders as he did. “It’s still stiff around the shoulders.”

Angeal managed to crack a smile. “You know what they say, never get too comfortable in your uniform.”

Crowded around a table made from the top of two boxes were all the sharpshooters they had present. Vincent watched the skies as the rest of them conversed, his eyes honing in on something moving against the murky blackness. He loosened his pistol, aiming the sights on the floating object before it disappeared with a loud caw. 

“The hell was that?” Barret asked him. “You think it was that Kuron guy?”

Vincent holstered his gun. “Not sure.”

“What’s his ass doing here? To gloat?”

“Guys! Focus, please?” Xion pointed at the map and became exasperated. “This area’s bigger than I anticipated so we need all your guns pointed towards Midgar if something unexpected shows up.” 

“Don’t worry, little girl,” Barret beat his chest with his fist. “Anything pops up- we’ll blast ‘em outta the sky!” 

“Is there anything we should know about?” Prompto asked. 

Xion shot him a worried glance. “Are you..are you sure you’re up for this, Prompto?”

“Yeah?” Prompto chuckled but stopped when he saw that Xion wasn’t laughing with him. “Why’re you askin’?”

“She’s asking about your aim,” Vincent interjected. “Can you shoot?”

“Don’t worry if you wanna sit this one out, kid. No shame in it,” Xigbar added. 

Prompto looked between them, his smile inverting. “I know I messed up last time, alright? But trust me.. I can still fight. And this time I won’t miss.”

“The hell is he talking about?” Barret asked Xion but she remained quiet and shook her head solemnly. 

“Nothing you need concern yourself with,” Vincent glared at him. “It was a lifetime ago.”

Terra approached them and she gave him a weary glance. “What is it?”

“We’re all prepped on our end,” he said. “How’s everything here?”

“We’re about done too.” Xion inhaled, tasting the musty air on her tongue. “All that’s left really is for Yuna to decide.”

Vincent’s gaze went to the hill where Yuna stood overlooking the barren landscape. Where Midgar once stood upright was now a pile of rubble that appeared as an unidentified clump from where they were. The only things standing with some semblance of what they were before were the mako reactors surrounding the collapsed sectors. Around the graveyard of a city was more scrap strewn around, a testament of the god’s powers when they held the ground for the citizens to evacuate. 

“I don’t think she wants to choose anyone,” he said with that gruff voice of his. “She’s hesitating.”

“Who can blame her?” Xion said softly. 

*******

“We’re all ready here!” Reno hopped down from the top of the airship. “All systems go. You can use these ships as manual turrets when the time comes.”

“Then we’re set,” Aranea called back, ushering her other men to form a line. 

“Wait a minute, I can probably tweak it some more to give it more kick,” Cindy pointed at the core of the machines. “Also gotta make sure that thing won’t overload on y’all.”

“Then hurry it up. Don’t think the enemy gave us the luxury of time.” Aranea then turned to all of the other soldiers lined up and clicked her tongue. “Doubt we’d be able to do anything with all these battle virgins though.”

Cloud hoisted his sword. “We’ve been through enough fights. I think we’ll be fine.”

Aranea scoffed. “Fights, sure. But you never been in a war, that’s plain to see.” She put a hand on her hip and gave him a once over. “Doesn’t matter if you were hot shit in your village. What matters is that you can listen to orders and carry them out on the field, got that?” 

Gladio nodded in agreement. “The only way we can make it though this is if we work together.”

Roxas, overhearing this conversation, could only grumble to himself. Was what they were doing really enough?

*******

Yuna took a deep breath, uttering her last prayer towards Midgar before going to the group. Taking her staff with her, she gripped it like a vice and used it as a crutch to try and steel herself. Jecht helped her up onto a platform so that everyone could see her clearly and that only boosted her nervous tremors even more. 

“I’ve made a decision,” she announced. “On who I want to be my final summon.”

Everyone held their breath. This was it. One of them would be chosen to give their life for this world. 

Yuna gripped the locket even more, apologizing to it profusely in her head. Overhead, a large winged bird circled as her eyes scanned the crowd. 

“I choose..”

A crow’s blaring caw sounded off overhead and silenced the summoner’s answer. 

“I truly hate to interrupt, but I believe I require your attention for a moment.” Ardyn appeared beside her, twisting her arm behind her back with enough force to inhibit movement but not to break. “It’s best not to be hasty about this.”

“Get away from her!” Tidus jumped towards him to pry Yuna away, but Ardyn caught his wrist just as he came close and tossed him to the side. 

“You must reconsider,” he continued as a wall raised around them powered by dark magic. “I would advise you hold off on the Final Summoning.”

Noctis was the first to voice his outrage. “You said you were on our side, now you’re saying we should do what we came here for?!” 

“I don’t recall ever specifying that I was on  _ your _ side, Highness, but believe me when I say that it’s worth waiting a little longer.” 

Before the prince could argue more, the earth beneath their feet rumbled. The rock that Yuna and Ardyn stood upon split in two and he pulled her to safety as more of the formations around them started to collapse. 

Through the darkness, Jecht squinted and saw a circle of light form at the base of Midgar’s remains. “Shit- I think it’s starting!” 

“The Final Summoning! I’ll-” Yuna winced as Ardyn pulled her back. 

“It’s already done.”

From the depths of Midgar came a loud crackling before the base of the Shinra building came into view. Tendrils made of liquefied energy latched onto the remains of the reactors before they too raised the being that clawed its way out of the planet. 

“Everyone!” Cor shouted over the sounds of the beast roaring. “Get ready!!” 

As they all planned, everyone got into their appropriate battle stations. The magic users readied their barrier in the case of an unexpected frontal assault while those who were best at melee held the front line. 

Yuna struggled against Ardyn, turning to him with exasperated breaths. “Why?!”

Ardyn remained still, eyes fixed on the horizon. “Just watch.” 

With one final metallic howl, a beast crafted of tempered steel and mako erupted from its confines; revealing an enormous figure that stood as tall as the Shinra building it slumbered under. Its head, torso, and legs- all crafted from parts of the fallen city, began adhering to their refurbished purpose and added to the sheer size. It was as if Midgar truly was meant for holding that thing, that weapon, and not to house any other form of living being. Wings formed from mako energy outstretched far apart, allowing the clouds to catch some of its glow and reflecting the disconcerting color. How poetic it was that the city known for its questionable experiments became one itself. Perhaps it was better that they evacuated long before that thing feasted on them too. 

“Omega,” Vincent muttered, feeling the infernal being inside of him call to it. “We need to move. Now.”

At the base Omega’s feet, bodies with armor lined with a blue glow appeared. A group of roughly seventy soldiers gathered around in full sight. 

“That’s all?” Lea chuckled. “This might be an easy win then.”

Suddenly, more potholes opened up in the ground. More of their soldiers crawled out of it, their limbs looking far more bulky than of the ones standing near Midgar. Not far behind them were hounds, the same ones that were seen on the day that the great city fell. Except these ones seemed much, much bigger. Their sizes were comparable to that of a behemoth, with razor sharp fangs going over their blackened lips and red eyes that scanned for prey- it was clear what purpose they were bred for. 

Their numbers multiplied until the dark grey dirt of Midgar’s surroundings turned blackened with red eyes staring at them from the void. Many legions of Deepground’s best emerged and outnumbered their own with a hundred-to-one. 

Gladio shifted on his heels. “Might be a tough one, not gonna lie.”

“And we’d still have Bahamut to contend with after,” Genesis muttered. 

Omega stood tall amongst Deepground’s army. His wings took up a wide portion of the sky as his head touched the murky clouds and moved them aside with simple movements. 

“That must be their leader,” Ignis pointed out a man with long white hair standing at the forefront of Omega’s battalion. “Weiss.”

“That one‘s mine,” Sephiroth readied his sword. 

The remainder of Deepground’s elite group were to be wiped out by another of their squadron of equal strength. The Firsts would take care of Weiss and the others, while everyone else would pick off those from the lower ranks. 

Nyx, perched upon the higher rocks, saw something moving in the darkness towards them. “They’re trying to flank us!” He yelled as that dark mass advanced faster. 

Aqua signaled to the others to ready themselves, her magic leaving sparkles on her armor as she, along with Aerith, and Luna rose a barrier that surrounded all of them. It prevented the flank from the other side, allowing them time to focus on the problem that was in front of them.

“Alright,” Zack unsheathed his sword. “Our time to shine!” The rest of their group wielding swords and spears and daggers jumped into action. “Come and get it!” 

The darkened hordes of Deepground’s experimented monsters flew towards them as the ones who wanted to see the sun again met the former in a brilliant clash of weapons. Both had their goals for winning this fight. Both had a goal in mind that required the other side to be purged away. It only served to raise the stakes even more and force them all to fight harder than they ever had before. 

Cloud ducked as a fireball seared overhead and hit an enemy soldier. He looked over to his shoulder at Barret. “Set the charges already! Over there!”

Barret nodded, barking orders to Jessie and Cindy. “Y’all two hurry and get that thing moving!” 

“We’re trying,” Jessie huffed as her hands calibrated the bomb. “All set!!”

An explosion blew up another of Deepground’s monsters, sending their scattered limbs to hit those who were unfortunate enough to stand within the blast radius. Blood spilled onto the dirt, making it darker than what was thought possible and the limbs that were dismembered soon melted back into the lifestream. Yuna couldn’t bear to watch while she stood around and did nothing. Once again she struggled against Ardyn and this time he let her go. As she ran into the safety of Tidus’ arms, she turned around and saw that Ardyn disappeared, leaving a trail of red light that sped towards Noctis. 

Just as a stray spell was headed towards the prince who stayed beside Luna to protect her- it was deflected as Ardyn reappeared with sword in hand. Noctis, though, did not look one bit pleased nor grateful. “Whose side are you on?!”

Ardyn didn’t even look at him, his gaze was fixated on the sky. 

Yuna joined the other mages and held up her staff to strengthen their barrier. Seeing as how they were on enemy grounds, it would be detrimental if they were to lose position so early in the battle. Underneath their erected dome were the ones operating the machines to help the others out, some were even healers dragging in those who were unfortunately caught in the crossfire of the explosions. It was all they could do without instantly losing what little hope they had. 

*******

“Be honest with me,” Roxas wiped the blood off of his face as a rod of glowing red had sliced another opponent lunging at him. “This doesn’t look good, does it?”

Xemnas gave the younger an apprehensive stare. “We all have to be willing to die for something. If not, there would be no proof we lived at all.”

Roxas sucked in his teeh. “Typical.”

“Get out of the way!” Prompto shouted overhead as he leaned into the muzzle and released a spray of bullets in a semi-circle around them two. “You guys need to get out of there!”

Another group of behemoths charged through towards them, leaving Roxas and Xemnas short of time to find any exit. Though before the behemoth could open its maws to chomp down on any of them, a block of ice inhibited its hind legs and refused to let go. Aqua jumped down from the mage’s circle and ran to them. “Are you guys okay?”

“What are you doing here?” Roxas cried. “You need to get back over there to keep the shield up!” 

“We need more people out here,” she protested, just as the behemoth broke free of its icy restraints as it charged them again. One of its claws swiped at Aqua and she jumped back just as it landed another hit that made the ground fall underneath her. “Ah-!” She felt her body lose its footing before a hand grabbed onto hers. Looking up, she saw Xemnas pulling her up as Roxas held the beast back with assaults from the black and white keyblades he had. 

  
  
  


“Can you walk?” He asked her and she nodded as he pulled her back onto safety. 

Another of the monsters grazed the sleeve of Roxas’ coat and he gritted his teeth as he saw it dive forward for another bite. Something knocked it off-balance though, as another one joined the battle in the form of another keyblade wielder. 

“You’re too slow,” Vanitas said, almost cackling at the dumbstruck look on his face. “What? Not even a thank you?”

Ignoring him, Roxas dug his keyblades into the beast’s head and dove back just as another set of bullets sprayed any of those who tried approaching. “Stop yammering and just fight,” he growled at Vanitas before finding another victim. 

After getting pulled back to solid ground, Aqua adjusted herself and summoned her keyblade. She couldn’t help staring at her rescuer with a peculiar look as she’d never come this close to the man before; though now that she was, she could see a striking resemblance to Terra. 

Xemnas noticed her curiosity. “Now’s not the time for questions.”

“..Right.” Aqua stammered. “Will you help us?”

“Of course.”

*******

Tifa landed her fist across the cheek of a Deepground soldier as Zack leapt overhead and launched his sword into the ground, sending a shockwave that left tremors. In front of them were Angeal and Sephiroth who made quick work of another platoon that assaulted them mindlessly. “Where’s Genesis?!”

To answer his question, a flash of crimson and black shot overhead and Zack saw Genesis give chase to a man with bandaged mechanical wings. He remembered that one from their debriefings.  _ Nero _ . He was Weiss’ brother. 

“Where is the girl?” Nero narrowly dodged an attack from a rapier. “Too much of a coward to face us?”

Genesis gritted his teeth, cutting through his defenses bit by bit. As Nero led him closer and closer to Midgar, it gave Omega a chance to swipe at him with one of his elongated limbs. Luckily, before it could hit him, he was pulled backwards. One look at his savior earned a grimace. “You’re late.”

Vincent didn’t take mind of his displeasure as he dropped him off cautiously. His body was transformed, taking on the likeness of Chaos and granting him a more daemonic appearance. Had no one knew him, they would take him for an ally of Omega. Dark, thorned wings batted down as he searched the area and spotted Zack. “Can you fly?”

Zack stopped, nodding to him. “Whaddaya need?”

“Use what’s left of Jenova’s power to distract him.”

A single wing unfurled from Zack as he saluted Vincent. “Got it!” Taking to the air, the both of them fought off Omega’s advances and searched for a weak spot on the massive entity. Meanwhile, there were equally pressing matters at the base of said entity’s feet. Matters in the form of Weiss, Nero, and Azul. 

Azul’s hulking body lugged a large hammer, aiming his sights on the Firsts. “It’s a shame you wouldn’t want to join our ranks. Soldiers like you would be useful for our cause.”

The buster sword was aimed towards him with its owner training his sights onto the Tsviet. “Let’s not waste any more time.”

“He has a point,” Nero descended from the sky. “Any longer and Omega might end up destroying us all.” 

“You’re not the one we want,” Genesis stepped up, running two fingers down his blade to summon runes. “You’re just the prelude.” 

“It’d be unwise to undermine our abilities.” Between Nero and Azul emerged Weiss. His swords were at his side, attached to the battery that was his body, eternally churning with mako. “It’ll be a fair fight, seeing as how two of our own were neutralized by yours.” Weiss took a look around. “And it seems that it’s true. She’s no longer here, what a shame.”

“You have no right to speak of her,” Sephiroth replied coldly. 

“I do, in fact. Had she joined us, perhaps that god would give up on her.”

“Then you’re a bigger fool than we thought,” Genesis cut in. “Bahamut would never let her go so easily. He would happily burn all those in his way- including all of you.”

“You might think he’s on your side, but in the end, you’re nothing more than a pawn to him,” Angeal added. “It’s not too late to stop this. Join us and we can defeat him together.” 

“You’re wrong.” Weiss raised his swords. “We were promised a new world to reign freely on. I won’t let you get in the way of that.” 

“Very well.” The masamune glinted in the darkness. “We wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

Sephiroth clashed swords with Wero whilst Genesis leapt towards Nero, leaving Azul to lunge at Angeal. Now they were to see who really was Shinra’s finest. 

*******

One of Omega’s arms struck Vincent, sending the man flying into one of the reactors and kicking up a large cloud of smoke. Zack aimed to fly towards him, but stopped when the reactor blew up and Vincent arose from the fire with renewed rage in his eyes. Something came up from his body in blackened wisps before a large ball of energy launched at the arm that hit him. It broke from the impact and Vincent followed up with more hits, unrelenting as he ripped and tore through the entity’s body in order to weaken it. 

Zack felt something tug on him, an itch to do the very same and so he listened to those instincts. His sword found itself into the side of the beasts’ legs, exposing him to its nuclear core which spilled out in heated waves that burned everything it touched. Zack barely missed it, his wing lifting him up higher and away from the imminent danger. While him and Vincent tore Omega from the outside in, they didn’t pay attention to how the energy was drained from the limbs and headed towards the chest. Inhaling, Omega let out a tremendous bellow as a beam of mako formed over where his heart was. 

Through the siphons that were powering him through the ground, the Lifestream was sucked up against its will. Many of the souls intact within its safety began to let out a chorused screech that even the most stalwart of soldiers couldn’t bear to listen to. A disgusting sound that combined cries of pain, shouts of anger, and wails of despair into one dissonant sound that amplified throughout the world. It forced everyone to cover their ears, even Deepground as well. Omega didn’t care who listened or how many souls were used in his conquest, as the only thing he was fixated on was destroying everything in his path. 

Sucking up the energy from the lifestream, the land dulled even more in color and some even felt their own energy waning as Omega formulated his first real attack. A beam of purified energy, similar to the ones mass produced within the reactors. 

Vincent didn’t have much time to react. With what seconds he had, he dove for Zack and made him duck down as the beam flew past them. They watched as it aimed straight for their barrier containing the mages and healers. 

*******

Aerith flew back at the impact, feeling the rocks grind into her back as she collapsed. Luna fell backwards, but felt her body being pulled up as Ravus held onto her. Yuna coughed from the dust that was kicked up, feeling her lungs constrict as if she swallowed coal. The summoner glanced up as the shockwave reverberated through the battlefield like an EMP blast. Pushing herself up, she saw that most of their allies were knocked off their feet. Not being used to the levels of mako that Omega exuded, most of those that weren’t in Shinra’s ranks had suffered and began to feel dizzy- even her. 

The effects of mako poisoning were never to be taken lightly. At the worst case, they would fall into a continuous coma. 

At the edge of where their barrier used to stand, the enhanced daemons, who clawed at their mana-crafted shields, now stalked towards the mages with growls that hummed and left goosebumps across their skin. It didn’t help that the Lifestream, still being drained involuntarily from the planet, let out a shrill scream that disoriented any who listened to it. 

Jecht fought through the urge to plug his ears, seeing as how some creatures advanced towards Yuna. He quickly decapitated the ones that charged towards Yuna and helped her up. “You alright?”

“I’m fine,” she coughed, feeling something warm trail down her ears. Wiping at it, she saw a patch of fresh blood staining her fingers. Her eyes widened, looking at Jecht who didn’t look too well himself. A gash had oozed from his chest and his face looked worn, fatigued from the mako that touched him. “What do we do?”

Jecht wanted to answer, but he didn’t know what to say. 

*******

Xion helped up Lea who collapsed onto his knee. The redhead panted, his chakrams disappearing as he caught his breath. There was a cut across his cheek, trailing down to his neck that had scratch marks from a behemoth that managed to hit him. Xion worked a healing spell on him and watched as the cut closed excruciatingly slow. “We need to fall back!”

Ignis jumped back as another soldier crossed blade to spear. Overhead, Aranea landed a blow to his assailant’s head and managed to crack through the helmet and kill him. “Need to do better than that, Four Eyes.” She grimaced as she spun her lance. “This isn’t pretty. We’re too scattered.” 

“Terra!” Xion flagged down the brunet and he jumped down to run towards them. “Take Lea back to the ships, he’s wounded pretty bad!” 

“I’m fine. I can still fight-” Lea staggered back up, but fell to his knees again. “Mm. Fuck!” 

“C’mon.” Terra summoned his glider and helped the redhead up onto it. “I’ll take you back.” 

“Shit.” Lea coughed, leaning forward. “It hurts like hell.” 

Terra boarded the glider and aimed to bring him back, but stopped when he saw Xion’s eyes widen in fear. “He’s arming for another hit! Everyone take cover!!!”

*******

It seemed that for all the effort they’ve produced, it truly was just futile. They were fighting and losing a war and there was nothing that could be done about it. Everyone on both sides had their share of injuries, but it seemed that Deepground’s numbers never stopped coming. If you cut off one of their heads, three more would appear; multiplying on the spot as they continuously overran their positions and forced them back further and further, separating their groups to individuals. 

Angeal pulled Genesis off of Nero’s corpse, stopping him from spilling any more blood than necessary. “Stop!” he shouted. “He’s already dead! We need to get out of here!” Before they could move a step further, another surge of energy made them duck their heads. “Sephiroth!!!” 

A few meters away from them was the silver soldier clashing blades with Weiss. He parried an attack, stealing his blades and using one to impale him to one of the fallen metal shards from the plates. “Where’s Bahamut?” He asked as he gripped Weiss’ face to keep the other from looking away. “Where is he?” 

Due to the blast of mako, those who were previously exposed to it were not as affected as the others. Instead, it granted them a boon as they felt their strength being bolstered. Sephiroth was no exception, as his eyes were glowing violently as the mako pulsed through his veins. 

“Sephiroth!” Angeal grabbed his friend. “Leave him, it’s too dangerous here!” To prove his point, he pointed up at Omega’s heaving body that was producing another massive beam. They made their escape, running past Azul’s body that was mangled and crushed into the ground. The three of them did all they could do, besting the finest that Deepground had to offer. Now it was up to everyone else to do their part. 

Just before another of Omega’s beams could strike anyone, a massive block of solid ice had formed over his chest- stopping him from harming anyone else. Then came the rumbling beneath the earth, shaking the rocks and ripping apart the seams that were already deemed fragile. Vincent and Zack flew to safety, watching as their vision was shaken as if someone grabbed their head and forcibly moved it side-to-side. 

Then, with a roar that accompanied Omega’s, a colossal body came charging straight towards the mako-infused creature. In the dim lighting provided by the inconsistent explosions and what remained of the Lifestream, something had grappled Omega and threatened to rip it apart. 

Fire erupted from the midst of the battlefield, scorching any of those who were caught in the flames and turned them into ash. Thunderclouds gathered overhead, striking those below with bolts of lightning, coincidentally it only ever hit the ones associated with the enemy. Water burst out of the fissures formed by Omega’s arrival and washed away the hordes trying to get away, drowning them in the process. 

That was when something appeared from the heavens. A light so bright that it blinded everyone who was in full view of it. At first, they thought it was the sun, having shown its face to them after so long. A warmth filled all those who were illuminated by it, feeling their worries and wounds fade and melt away. 

Then, from the center of the light, a pair of pristine white wings unfurled. 


	43. XLIII

**2 months prior...**

“Bahamut wanted a deal?” Lady stroked her sword with her thumb. 

“He wanted my loyalty.” The darkness nearly concealed Kuron, only his eyes told her that he was present at all. “After Midgar fell and the other Astrals along with my mistress, well..”

“I see.” The wind from the open window almost carried her voice away, with the two of them standing in her room at the Citadel. Insomnia sat with a red shadow touching its many buildings, signaling that it was time again for the sun to die once more. The resurrection of that celestial body would soon be gone as their days became shorter, so they enjoyed what it had left to offer. 

“Well well, it’s a bit dark in here isn’t it?” Umbra walked in through the door with Pryna following closely behind. He walked over to one of the candles, lighting the tip of his finger with fire before setting it to the wick. “Hello, my lady. Kuron.”

Kuron scrunched up his nose. “What’s this mutt doing here?”

Pryna pouted. “How rude!”

“We were invited.” Umbra responded with a sly grin. 

“Yes,” a cold breeze whipped into the room as Gentiana materialized from thin air. “We were.”

“I don’t remember inviting any of you to this _ private _ meeting.” Kuron made sure to enunciate the word that announced this was a non-disclosed gathering. 

“I invited them,” Lady said. Her back was to the window, sitting on the sill without a care in the world that she could easily fall backwards and plunge to the floor. “I have something to ask all of you.” Their eyes were pointed her way and she continued. “Has Bahamut offered you safety in exchange for supporting him?”

The other families exchanged a wary look before nodding collectively. She glanced to the floor as the gears in her mind began to work. 

“My lady,” Pryna stepped forward, “we would never betray you! The Dragon- well, he can just enter our thoughts whenever he wants, so…”

“Of course we would never take the deal. As if we would work with a power hungry maniac like him.” Umbra added. 

“Careful,” Gentiana hushed them. “The Bladekeeper may hear us if we utter his name.”

Lady ruminated then made sure their attention was on her again before speaking. “Next time he asks.. Take the deal. Betray me.”

Pryna ran to her, eyes wide and hands grasping hers. “What?! No way! We can’t do that!” 

“Mistress..” Kuron was at her side. “I don’t believe you know what you’re saying.”

“I think I do,” she snapped. “This gives us a chance, don’t you see? We can use this to our advantage.” The familiars listened to her carefully as she explained. When she was done, she relaxed and chuckled to herself. “I was always warned that hubris was a sin. Though let it be known that the great king of the heavens practices it the most.” 

**The only event our lovely lady didn’t take into account was the fact that her mother was controlled by Bahamut. Inevitably forcing her to fight the goddess to the death.**

Crouched underneath a makeshift canopy of curtains draped over a shelf, a figure huddled into herself and cried into her arms. Her cries were muffled by the thick material of the curtain as she hid herself away from the world- if only for a moment. Soon that curtain was lifted, and King Regis looked upon Lady hiding her tear-stained face. 

He didn’t bother asking her if she was alright, instead he sat beside her. Her back moved as she hiccuped, a signal that her sobs reached a crescendo before dying down again to resume her wails. And as before, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and she didn’t hesitate to bury her face into the old king’s chest and let her sorrows out onto the pristine cloth of his suit. 

“It’ll be alright,” he murmured, adopting the tone of a grief-stricken father. He comforted her like he did Noctis when the prince was but a child. “Don’t fret.” 

“What-“ she hiccuped loudly, “what do I do now?”

He didn’t know and so he didn’t answer. 

“I killed her- got both of my parents killed.” The lapel of his suit began feeling soaked underneath her face. 

“What your mother did was to protect you,” he stroked the back of her hair. “She loved you. Till the very end.”

“I always hurt everyone I love!” She balled up her fists against him, but resisted the urge to beat his chest. “Always, always!”

This time he wrapped around her, holding her more tightly in hopes he could somehow contain her sorrow. “I’m sorry,” was all he could say, “I’m sorry you’ve suffered so much.” 

“What can I do now?” She whispered. 

“Whatever you can,” he whispered back. 

Shutting her eyes, she urged herself to breathe and reclaim her inner tranquility. She had her time to cry. Now it was time to take action. 

**And so a new god was born.**

Kuron wrapped a veil over his mistress’ shoulders and stepped back. Standing up, she inhaled the air, tasting the energy mixed in with the salt of the sea. It all seemed so different. Much more vibrant and her alertness to the environment was elevated to heights that she was never aware of. If she closed her eyes and focused on the sound of the wind, it almost sounded like a lullaby that the planet conjured up to comfort her. 

Picking up a rock, she admired the smooth flat surface before arching her arm back. Though instead of having it skip through the water, she gave it a small squeeze and when she opened her palm.. 

She saw that the rock was completely crushed and was nothing but a pile of dust. 

“We did as you asked.” Umbra tossed down a body wrapped in sheets on the ground. “There were plenty of corpses stashed in their labs.”

“Eugh…” Pryna watched through cracks between her fingers. “What’s it for?”

Lady knelt down by the body, taking the sheet off and seeing the unremarkable specimen before her. It had no markings, no features to speak of, it even lacked genitalia. Taking a knife, she slid the edge over her wrist and let the blood drop to the specimen’s open mouth. For a moment, they twitched as they took in the liquid; its color stark and garish against its pale, milky skin. Over the course of five minutes, the corpse had taken on a new appearance; bearing a striking resemblance to the one that fed it. 

When all the features grew in the mannequin-like body, she began stripping her own clothes and placed it on the other. Then, she began burning parts of the skin to cover up any marks she didn’t have herself. 

“Would they really fall for it?” Kuron dared to ask. 

She didn’t answer. “Take this body with you when you retrieve the items I’ve asked for. This will prevent them from giving chase.” Standing up, she nodded to Kuron and Umbra. “Take the white materia and the Ring of the Lucii. Are we understood?”

“Yes,” they bowed their heads in response. 

“What will you do then, mistress?” Pryna asked. 

“I will gather allies,” she responded simply. “Go. We’ll convene again soon.” 

“Do you think you’d be able to revive Madame Onna?” Pryna was earnest, to Kuron’s great displeasure. “If you’re doing that to the other gods, then-“

“She’s dead,” came her hardened reply. “Her soul has already moved on, I made sure of that.” 

“Oh.. Sorry.”

A hand rubbed Pryna’s hair as she was comforted. “Go now,” she told her in a softer tone. “Let me handle the gods.”

Once the familiars made themselves scarce, she too took flight and waited for them to finish their task.

**Several hours later…**

  
  


Jecht carried the body into the water, seeing as there was no real other place he’d rather put her to rest in. Given the sudden event of her death, similar to her mother, there was also a lack of preparation of putting together a proper funeral. Despite that, it was clear just how much pain the attendees were. Their faces scrunched up in regret and despair, seeing one of their last hopes being carried into the lapping water. 

Many would say she was too young to die. Others would say that letting her live on was a punishment in itself. The consensus was that even if the sky wasn’t covered in a perpetual smog of gloom- it would’ve been a dark day for everyone.

“Are you content to just sit back and watch?” Ardyn said, standing back as they observed from an isolated alcove overlooking the funeral process. 

“It’s necessary. Bahamut’s downfall is his belief in his own power. If he thinks I’m dead, it gives me time to move under his complacency.” 

“And this favor you wanted to ask of me. What was it?”

“You will side with them. Make sure everything goes smoothly. There’s no doubt that Yuna will try and perform the Final Summoning, so I need you to be there to stop it when she tries.”

“That’s all?”

“That’s all.” 

The newly born goddess’ voice was empty- null and void of any real feeling. When she turned to face him, he saw her eyes shared that same emptiness and filled with nothing more than a hunger for all of this to end. She claimed his presence masked hers, infusing her aura with darkness so that Bahamut could not sense her. Though he doubted this. As her aura seemed far more intense than he remembered, for now she was imbued with light, almost glowing with such intensity that it was hard to gaze at her for long periods of time. 

It made him assume that if he were to touch her, he would be scorched. 

“How do you feel?” he found himself asking, though wounded up feeling foolish. 

Her head perked up, though her face remained still. “How do you mean?”

“Surely you must feel something.” He gestured towards the gathered with their forlorn faces. 

Her hand hovered her heart, blinking as she imagined there was a heartbeat thumping underneath her skin. “I don’t feel a thing.” She paused, closing her eyes and opened them to stare at something in the sky. At something he couldn’t see. “When I woke up after the Final Summoning.. It made me realize something. How angry I was. It only took my death to realize just how furious I was all this time.” 

He hadn’t the faintest idea of how to comfort her, nor did he feel it was right to hold her. 

“Being immortal..” she trailed off as she watched the body being swallowed up by the waves. A part of her seemed to sink with it, smothered by cold, salinated water. Never to be seen again. “What a horrible way to die.”


	44. XLIV

Emerging from the aura of light, a set of white wings accompanied a woman in regal armor. Her hair, tinged with silver and white, flowed effortlessly despite the stale wind in the air. Her eyes contained that same searing light that blinded them, containing an unhindered hunger for justice to prevail. 

Roxas stopped, breathless as he beheld the sight. “Lady? But, how..?” He then saw Kuron and felt that same anger flare up. “I don’t understand. Whose side are you guys really on?!”

Kuron faced him, placing a gloved finger over his coy smile. “We’ve already told you we served a god.. Though we never specified which one.”

“But, her body. I held her..!”

“A decoy.” He answered simply. “You weren’t paying close attention, were you?”

Roxas bit back further insults and called out to her. “Lady! Lady!!” After straining his voice over the divine chaos that was sowed, he finally used her real name and she heeded him at last. 

There was no recognition in her eyes when she did, and for a moment, Roxas believed she had forgotten him when she gave up her heart. As Kuron and the other familiars appeared behind her, she remembered, faintly, as to why that blond boy seemed so distressed. 

“That’s correct,” she murmured to herself. “That’s what they used to call me.” 

_Lady._

_Little bird._

_Doll._

_Pet._

_Soldier._

Aliases came to, echoing with the voices of all those who called upon her as well as those who knew of her true name. Those were her identities of the past. All that mattered was her newfound status. 

As the new goddess of war. 

The language of the Six came spoken on her tongue with an authenticity that couldn’t be questioned. On her command, the land was filled with more of their destructive elements. Fire scorched the lands, tidal waves drowned it, ice storms laid waste to them, thunder rendered everything to ash, and last but not least, an earthquake opened up and swallowed the resulting mess. 

Deepground’s numbers were nothing compared to the might of the Six. The gods showed them no mercy as they were not owed any; and so their screams fell on deaf ears as they were wiped out one-by-one. Those who retreated behind the line of safety grew thankful that the gods’ rage didn’t touch them and even though they were forced to fight the others earlier- they couldn’t help but feel a tinge of guilt. 

Prompto gulped. “So this.. This is the power of the Six.”

Once the remaining bodies were wiped out, she raised her hand and as if signaled, the remaining gods looked to the north, towards her, and retreated. Shiva, Ramuh, Titan, Ifrit, and Leviathan stood near where she perched; all of them seeming to wait for something as the valley was swarmed by their respective elements. Lady stood first among them, watching the landscape with eyes seeking. 

“How do you want this done?” Kuron asked her. 

“Quickly.” She flicked her hand upwards and the mako in the earth no longer listened to Omega- instead they listened to her. Seeing as how none of her allies were left in the field beyond Midgar, she let the storm overhead brew without control. Dark clouds churned until it represented a maelstrom, signalling something unfavorable for those that were directly below it. When the storm had reached a stage with which she was satisfied, she brought her middle finger and thumb together. 

The resulting snap echoed loudly, signalling the shadows to converge together rapidly. From where they convened, the land and people standing in the midst of the maelstrom were promptly destroyed, leaving a gaping hole where they once stood. 

“Blessed be,” she murmured as the dust settled and revealed Omega’s remains sticking out of the broken plains. Even after the fire and brimstone, it seemed that the entity was not yet done as the lights on his fractured body continued to flicker. 

“I believe he means to attack again,” Kuron advised her. 

In the corner of her eye, Lady saw the other gods begin to move but she held her fist up and they froze. She eyed the colossus, wondering how best to deflect his power without wasting any more of theirs. It then struck her and she held her hand out towards Gentiana. The familiar placed a small object onto her palm and she slid it onto her middle finger. 

When she raised her hand, the object on her hand began to shine and it was recognized as the Ring of the Lucii. From the beam of light that shot forth from her palm, thirteen separate columns formed in a concave semicircle in front of her. The kings of yore, the ones who ruled Lucis before Noctis or Regis, came forth from the light; their armor catching and spreading the illumination to the battlefield and all those that beheld them. 

Noctis watched as his forefathers and foremothers came at her behest, summoning their weapons to hand and awaiting more orders. The first among them, the one who founded their empire, Somnus Lucis Caelum stood in front of her and seemed eager to obey. 

_“Kings and Queens of Lucis,”_ the goddess’ voice boomed, loud enough for them to hear. _“Shield us from those that wish to harm the holders of this planet’s future!”_

Ardyn felt both seething resentment and relief at the sight of his brother heeding the call of someone far more powerful than he. The latter emotion overpowered the former as it was a glorious sight his lady displayed. One that could easily be ingrained to stories that would be told for generations to come. 

“What are they doing?” Noctis asked aloud. 

“She means to summon the Old Wall.” 

The legendary defense of the Lucian bloodline consisted of the royal’s bodies; imbuing a shield with their combined magical prowess and strength to fortify it further. Their weapons glowed brightly before they spurt up in columns of sparkling crystalline structures that spread into a dome. Hexagonal structures formed to chain with each other, protecting those behind them as Omega’s blast gained traction. When at last the beast meant to strike them, his blast fell short as it collided with the Wall and the energy he gathered spread and fizzled to nothing. 

In the aftermath, they saw nothing but the leftover remains of mako energy splattered all over; with Omega in the back, utterly spent and struggling to regain its power. Lady looked to Leviathan and Shiva, uttering something to which they nodded in response. Leviathan dove beneath the waves, her slithering body turning into one of a shapely woman as she surfaced again. Her blue hair came in waves down her back as she raised her hand over the top of the water; bringing her hand to a fist as the small ocean she summoned listened to her will. 

All at once, the water rose in jets and were aimed towards the behemoth in steady streams. It covered the mass of his body, circulating and capturing his body in a massive, personal sea. Once it completely encapsulated his body, ice creeped up over the sphere in slow, feeling brambles- turning the soft cerulean color of water into a lifeless white. 

The lives that Omega dragged to the Lifestream with him became opaque and revealed themselves to her. Mixed with the minute souls of the ones he dragged against their will were the souls of the ones that served under him in Deepground. They traveled from the dead earth, rising to meet their final judgement and become one with the lifestream, until- 

“Wait.” Lady as she stretched her arm out, pointing at a group in the middle of one the many streams. Four souls were plucked out, traveling towards her in wavering flickers to stand before her in a drab display. “Summon your god.”

From the four wisps came the weathered images of Deepgrounds’ finest- the Tsviets. Weiss was the first to face her, his face defeated and crestfallen. Though his body was transparent, she managed to touch him with the tip of her finger, lifting his face upwards. 

“Where is he?”

Weiss stared back, unsure whether to feel fear as he was already dead. 

“Cooperate, and I’ll allow you rest.” 

“You know we cannot do that.” 

Subtle lines of frustration crossed over her face until she smoothed it over. “If you don’t tell me.. Then I’ll find him myself, and you’ll die screaming alongside him.” She grabbed him by the throat, hands squeezing until his body became evanescent once more and was sent back to the gathered energy around Omega. Light surfaced on the ground around his remains, forming runic markings that circled around them slowly like a predator in the water. 

The gods had always appreciated bountiful offerings of prayers and souls- with Bahamut enjoying them most of all. This amount of souls would surely attract something as avaricious as him. 

Their souls, once again sucked into the whirlpool of magic and mako, became mixed with one another until all that was left was one large entity. Surrounded by the runes of the Bladekeeper, that entity was crushed and the resulting shriek was loud enough to deafen their ears. The collected noise of a thousand souls and more drowned out anything else present. Ascending higher and higher until most of them couldn’t take it- they found reprieve in the silence that followed. 

A deadly hush that permeated the area as the offering was no longer there and only a barren wasteland was left. Lady scowled. There was no Bahamut either. 

“Come out,” she growled, eyes scanning the sky for something in particular. “You damned _coward.”_

A bolt of lightning had separated the dark clouds as a large, armored figure descended from the heavens. Swords of the sharpest caliber made up an array of feather-like arrangements on his back, imitating wings and allowing his body to appear much larger than it actually was. His armor gleamed in the brilliance, matching the material of hers as well as the elaborate ornery that held together their defensive clothing. 

“He’s arrived,” Kuron muttered, squinting through the radiant rays that shot out from the Draconian’s body. “Ready yourself, my lady.”

Bahamut hovered in the sky, eyeing her from over the remains of Omega. He then spotted Kuron and Gentiana standing just behind her. “ _Thine betrayal will not be taken lightly_.” 

“We never betrayed you!” Pryna spoke up. “Because we were never on your side to begin with!”

Kuron cracked a smile. “Well said, Pryna.”

Lady stepped forward. “ _Come then. Let’s finish this._ ” Ifrit took his sword, the ember in his eyes igniting as he aimed his sights on Bahamut. He was ready to move in for the kill until Lady bore her glare into him and forced him to stop where he was. _“Don’t. Move.”_

Unsheathing her sword, her wings extended further. Two sets of white wings, a larger pair over smaller ones, fluttered in the wind and arched. The limbs of her wings were armored, just as Bahamuts, and in the light they seemed to shimmer as if crafted from finely sliced sheets of crystal. Pointing her sword at Bahamut, she narrowed her eyes as hate filled them.

“ _It’ll just be you and I_.”

“My lady,” Kuron’s calm demeanor was slightly shaken. “You don’t want help?!” Before leaving him, she leaned close to his ear, whispering something that only he could hear and his eyes widened first before closing. “..I understand.” 

“I trust in you to know when to call for it,” she said as her wings flexed, about to take flight. 

Noctis reached her, the warp strike crystals still coming off his body as he appeared. “If you’re going, then I’m going too.” 

“No. I’m going myself. There will be no negotiations on that. And besides..” she did her best to mimic that sympathetic smile she always wore before. “At your current state, all you’d do is drag me down.” 

Noctis shook his head, scoffing in disbelief. “I thought you were really gone, you know?” It seemed that he wanted to reach forward to hold her for reassurance- but deigned to do so. “Just..don’t screw this one up, alright?”

“Then you should pay more attention next time. But don’t worry, I intend to bring him down.”

“Wait!” Yuna called to her, stopping by Noctis. “Are you really going alone? But you might really die this time!” 

Snatching the cape off of her shoulders, Lady covered Yuna’s head with it, having her blanketed safely underneath its shimmering material. “You should have more faith in me. I’m a god, you know.” 

Crystalline feathers floated to the ground as she ascended to the sky to meet her opponent. Both of them standing a ways from the others, but still visible thanks to the light that emanated from their divine forms. Jecht watched, holding his breath. This was something he’d seen before and last he did.. It didn’t go so well for either parties. He just hoped that this time was different. 

A beam of light automatically launched at Bahamut as he raised his swords to block and send them flying towards her. Jecht took that as his cue to remind everyone just how devastating this would really be. 

“Everyone!!” He roared, making sure to project his voice as much as he could over the sounds of the two gods clashing. “Stand back!! It’s about to get real ugly!!” 

Without further questioning, they all fled the battlefield just as a stray boulder knocked out from a cliff landed nearby. They scrambled to climb up to the landing where they parked their ships and where they could watch the battle at a relatively safe distance. Even with the kings and queens of yore protecting them, they could not do anything against the stray bits of magic that penetrated their shield and attacked the lands behind. 

“You saw Bahamut and Onna fight before,” Gladio grunted as he ran away from the impacted area. “How bad was it back then?”

“Bad enough to change the whole topography of Spira,” Auron helped him up. “We need to move!”

“We can’t just leave Lady behind!” Roxas exclaimed. 

“They’re gods,” Isa muttered, pulling him along against his will. “We’re only humans. We’d be no good to her like this.” 

Roxas began to protest more, leading to more of his friends pull him before Lea picked him up over his shoulders just to get him to move faster. “Shit, you’re heavy!” The redhead coughed, still recovering from his injuries earlier. 

Reflected on his blue eyes, Roxas saw two orbs of light shining in the sky and constantly attacking each other with no rest between blows. He held his breath, hoping that the god he was rooting for would come out on top. 

*******

Lady crossed blades with Bahamut, his giant sword creating sparks when clashing with hers. From the small crack in his helmet that allowed one a glimpse of his lilac eyes, he followed the hand that held the opposing blade. “ _Thy wields thine mother’s sword. Thy wishes to take her place?_ ”

Pushing back, she let the sword fall and fly upwards to land back down in another locked duel. Bahamut’s wing of swords extended, separating into individual weapons and ramming her all at once. Catching the blunt of those swords, she deflected most of them before descending to the ground and dodging more of the ones that chased her. As the swords plummeted, they created rifts in the ground that sucked in anything beside it. 

Bahamut clawed the air, summoning magic to pin her down. As bolts of light struck the cliffs near her, she dove off of it and swan-dived into Leviathan’s manufactured sea below. A large whirlpool of flame erupted from the middle of the sea, turning the water into a large cloud of steam. In the midst of that steam, Lady arose as her hair stuck to her skin with the mixture of water and condensation that fogged up her armor. Gripping her sword handle between two fingers, she extended one arm out in position as a bow crafted from light came forth. Using her sword as an arrow, she aimed and launched it towards him; Bahamut saw the flash of her blade and simply moved his head to the side to dodge it.

As it missed him, the sword stopped short past his shoulder just as Lady disappeared in a cluster of light and reappeared where her sword arrived. Striking him from behind, she knocked Bahamut down, sending him back down to the lowly depths of the planet with a ringing clang. Following in pursuit, she summoned a circle of fire that split up to give chase to the Draconian and leave fiery licks across his armor. The ground erupted more as the fire struck him, creating a small volcano that spewed magma and casted a grueling red shade onto the sky.

Lady watched the magma bubble and boil, waiting for Bahamut to arise when at last something moved underneath the viscous surface. The volcano erupted just as a winged figure arose and made her fly back to avoid the searing droplets. Of course it wouldn’t have been that easy. This was the king of gods after all. 

_“Thine soul will perish in the depths.”_

“If I’m going to hell,” she shouted as she ripped one of his swords from the sky and sent it back towards him. “Then I’m taking you with me!!!”

*******

“Ah!!” Barret narrowly missed the ledge as he grappled onto it with his good arm. “Shit!” From his feet, Tifa and Cloud dangled whilst hanging onto him as best they could. “Y’all alright!?”

Cloud felt the cliff shudder even if he didn’t touch it directly. “Pull us up already!” 

“Barret!” Tifa cried. “Hurry up!!”

“I’m..tryin’!!!”

Both Gladio and Angeal rushed over to them, gripping onto his arm and pulling him up until his gun with the machine gun was within reach of Gladio. Together they pulled him up, grunting as they did so and all until Tifa and Cloud reached land too. “Damn it. That was way too close!”

Cloud helped Tifa up, getting away from the grounds they thought were stable. “This is bad. We gotta get moving.”

“There’s nowhere else we can go,” Angeal grimaced. “This cliff is the only stronghold we have.” Just as he finished, another earthquake forced the group to brace themselves with their knees almost buckling.

“It’s not much of a guarantee,” Gladio glanced at the airships they used that were on the verge of falling through if any more earthquakes struck. They suddenly looked up when what sounded like a bomb going off erupted in the distance. Fire and lightning clashed midair as Bahamut’s large figure almost smothered Lady’s, smiting her with his magic.

Xigbar squinted, watching the battle from afar and held his ground as the earth shook at the weight of their battle. “How long did it take Onna last time?” He shouted to Auron. 

“Their fight lasted three days and three nights,” the warrior replied. 

“Three?!” Reno exclaimed furiously as another stray bolt of flame nearly singed his hair. “We won’t even survive one!!”

Vincent fired his gun at a flaming boulder coming towards them, encouraging it to break apart and form smaller pieces that were far more easier to evade. “We need a shield!” 

“Won’t the Old Wall protect us?” 

“There’s only so much they can do,” Vincent pointed to a fissure forming within the shield. “It’s failing already.” His perceptive eyes watching as something was hurled towards them yet again. But this time it was no boulder or magic- instead, it was a person. 

Lady crashed through the wall, her body being the needle that finally let the Old Wall’s defense fall. Flailing against the dirt, she left a trail as she skidded all the while back until she rolled to a stop in a large pile of ash. Staggering up, they saw her armor was half scorched on one side and the other cracked; the right side of her face was drenched in fresh blood, obscuring her eye and staining her hair; even though her armor was in not the best state, her sword remained untarnished and sharp. 

Fangs jutted out of her canines, protruding past her lips as she growled. Her eyes were aglow with the light of a hundred mako reactors as a cloud of that same essence hovered over her slightly hunched body. Using her sword to keep herself up, she had her eyes trained on Bahamut who flung her a couple miles away from where he was. 

“Mistress!” Kuron made sure to give her a wide berth as the levels of mako she emitted were certainly toxic. “Are you alright??”

Lady kept her eyes trained on Bahamut as something wasn’t right. He should’ve followed by now in chase or with another attack- so why hadn’t he done it? Kuron seemed to know what she was thinking, as she wiped the blood from her lips with the back of her hand, her eyes never left. He sensed it too. Energy flowing from the planet towards the Draconian. 

He’d seen this before, he knew what it meant. 

“ _Kuron!_ ” she shouted, concealing something in her hand. “ _Now!!_ ” 

This was what they were waiting for. Kuron faced the other gods. “He’s casting mega-flare!! Take cover!!!”

Just as the other gods prepared for Bahamut, Lady herself held something close to her mouth, whispering to herself into some unknown object. When she was done, she glanced up to the clouds past Bahamut and waited. 

Shiva, Ifrit, Leviathan, and Ramuh began their counter spell, hoping to catch the brunt of Bahamut’s ultimate attack. Their magic, combined with what was left of the Old Wall converged, transforming into a larger domed shield that covered the majority of their area. Lady ran to join the others, bringing her magic to the forefront and letting it provide strength to the other gods’ magic. If Bahamut managed to break through their defense- then they would get disintegrated instantly. 

There were those who practiced destructive magic and performed it for long knew of mega-flare and its capabilities. One of the most violent of black magics, a spell that could wreak havoc, able to wipe out an entire continent when wielded by a powerful mage. 

A large blast erupted from the sky with the force that ripped apart anything it came into contact with. What was left of the land became even more shattered as the burnt trees uprooted, rocks broke apart to blend in with the dirt, and the sea boiled at the shear heat. The Six stood their ground against the Dragon and having protected the planet from his attack once in the past, they knew the consequences of letting his magic reign freely. 

The kings and queens and gods held back his assault, feeling their mana and stamina drain steadily. Torrentuous winds tore through them as lights blinded them, wearing away those who were already weakened by the previous battle. As the last of the holy fire died down into a loud hum, it picked up again and knocked back Shiva who was cast out of the protective circle. 

Lady ran to catch the goddess in her arms and held her still as she cast a barrier around them. “ _Are you alright_?” She asked in their tongue. 

On the high bone of her cheek, there was a cut there that bled blue. It was apparent that the spell had worn her out. “ _My lady.. He’s too powerful._ ” 

As the mega-flare died down, there was a deafening silence as the lands were awash with the leftovers of energy. Lady held Shiva in her arms, holding her breath as she watched the giant orb in the sky that concealed Bahamut. Something shifted within the orb and then shot out, blasting through the debris and towards them. 

Shiva cried out as chains wrapped around her, writhing around her body as it did to Ifrit, Ramuh, Titan, and Leviathan. Lady held onto her, participating in a tug-o-war with Bahamut for the goddess as she did her best not to let her get whisked away. But soon those chains that wrapped around Shiva’s waist inched towards her wrists. 

“ _Let go_ !” Shiva urged her. “ _If you fall, we will all be doomed!_ ”

Another chain flew through the air, taking her by the throat and forcing her to let go of Shiva. The Six struggled underneath Bahamut’s magical tethers, roaring and grunting as the Dragon meant to capture them. A blue light seeped through the chains, creeping towards them slowly and giving her enough time to see what it was as well as recognizing it. 

_If that blue light touched them, they would be placed underneath Bahamut’s influence_. 

Taking flight, she chopped the chain that had Shiva before doing the same to all the others. With all of the tethers in her hand, she had them wrapped around her fist and tugged with all her strength. Unfortunately the one at the other end tugged back and she was pulled off her feet and felt her body being racked through the rocks towards him. Something hard collided with her and sent her back, driving her backwards into another cliffside. 

From the light descended Bahamut, though his form was smaller. The energy he spent forced him to adopt a smaller body, much like Shiva, who was also not her complete size. Jecht saw this, eyes widening upon realization on what this meant. 

“He’s weak!! This is their chance!” 

Lady pulled herself up, coughing and feeling that something in her body was broken yet she couldn’t pinpoint where it was. She stared up at Bahamut and saw his change while also feeling a renewed sense of hope within. Taking her sword, she brought it up just as Bahamut rammed her, appearing in front of her in no less than a second. His armored shin connected with her stomach, forcing the wind from her as she rolled on the sharp gravel below. Gasping for air, she felt even that be stolen as Bahamut dug a sword deep into her chest. 

Roxas’ worried shouts were heard throughout the land. “Lady!!!!”

Bahamut lifted the sword, her blood staining the blade as he picked her up by the throat. His helmet that was once pristine had cracks running down the front, enough for her to see the flesh underneath as well as some strands of hair. Even his voice was strained, pausing between words to catch his breath and the action itself seemed alien to him. There wasn’t a time that he thought he would be so out of it like this- especially not with the filthy half-breed he held between his fingers. 

“ _Thine mistake was to not join me._ ” 

Gathering the blood in her mouth, she hawked it back and spit it onto his face, covering the revealing part of his helmet with a healthy coating of her saliva and blood. Bahamut’s grip tightened on her throat, cutting off her air and flinging her towards the standing boulders before the same sword ripped through her again.

“Don’t just stay there!” Tidus shouted. “You have to keep moving!!” 

Blood dripped from her body in heaping amounts, and as she tried to move her arm, another sword stabbed her wrist and pinned it down. The same thing happened to her other arm, then her legs, then her shoulders. Pinned against the rock, she hung her head and allowed the pain to overtake her for the meantime. 

“What is she doing? She could easily take those out if she wanted.” Genesis turned to Kuron. “Right?”

Still as a doll, she remained there, allowing the swords to dig deeper into her body. Her vision blackened at the edges, feeling her consciousness ebb and flow as she tried to shake away the drowsiness. Strangely enough, the pain felt like a song lulling her to sleep. If she closed her eyes forever, it would all be over. This fight, this pain, this pointless fucking war. 

_What was there that could possibly keep her going?_

As the sounds of their planes being corrupted with magic waned, her arms felt limp struggling to dislodge the swords. _What a joke_. 

Kuron held his breath, running towards where the statues of the old royals stood guard. “You have him cornered, you can’t give up just now!” 

No response. Not even movement. 

Gritting his teeth, the familiar dare not give up on his master. “You’ve come so far. You’ve been through everything that’s been thrown at you. This is nothing, won’t you get up?” Pause. Kuron began to panic, it was unlike her to give up so easily. 

Yuna gripped the cape that Lady had draped over her earlier. She began praying, as if that would do anything. “Get up,” she whispered feverishly, “get up, please!”

Throwing away the rest of his reservations, Kuron brought it upon himself to make sure they won no matter the cost. Not for the sake of the humans behind him, nor the kings and queens in front of him- but merely because that was what his mistress and goddess wanted. 

With all the breath he could muster, he called her by name. 

“No one else can help you. You have to get up on your own! You’ve come this far, just for this single moment!” His own voice became amplified by the fervor at which he prayed for her behest. “You’ve survived this long. You’ve weathered the worse so far and, after all this world has done to you, if nothing else, that..that..”

He took a deep breath.

“ _THAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO BURN IT ALL DOWN!!!”_

That was right. She was owed that much. 

Rocks began shifting around her body and Bahamut’s head snapped to her, eyes widening. “ _Impossible…_!”

Hands shot forth, gripping the blade protruding from her stomach after being ripped through the others that held down her wrists. With a twist of her body, she snapped the sword in half and fell to the ground. Digging the rest of her sword out, the holes in her body were immediately patched by crystalline structures taking over the empty gaps in her flesh and rendering them into skin. From the ground, red runes lit up in a circle before traveling up her legs and wrapping around the calves, torso, and arms. They crossed over her face, going over her eyes and traveling up the horns that sprouted from her head. Her eyes held the same glow as the crystal which Bahamut coveted for years, shining with a fire that could consume if one stared at it for too long. 

Wings erupted from her back as ribbons of shadows whirled around her, sucking in every color within her immediate vicinity. As she opened her mouth to reveal her fangs, a hallowed screech erupted, drowning out every sound and becoming the sole thing that every inhabitant heard that fateful day. A pained, hurting, yet fury-filled cry. 

_Kill. Burn. Destroy._

“Oh gods..” Prompto fell backwards, blood spilling from his ears as he watched the horned angel rise. “It’s her-!! Jenova!”

Vincent disagreed. “This darkness.. It’s her own.”

He was right. As one should know: the brighter the light, the darker the shadow becomes. 

In a split second, she disappeared from the crater created by her transformation and appeared behind Bahamut, sending him to the dirt. In that moment they saw the slight fear in his eyes, as to why he needed her dead. 

Because she became the sole thing he feared the most. A genuine god. 

The two of them struggled for power as her blind fury attacked over and over without a thought for rest. Resulting attacks created more holes in the earth, not thinking of the possible consequences that this could cause. It made her friends fear what she’d become- with this new state that transcended anything human or natural. No coherent thought passed her mind. Only synonyms of the same three commands passed by her like a lifeless drone that forced her to move her arms and legs. _Kill. Burn. Destroy._

Every second minute or so, her gaze would turn towards the sky before quickly snapping back to Bahamut. There was something she was distracted by- or..waiting for.

Clawed hands reached for Bahamut, ripping off his ornate helmet and tossing it aside like garbage. She was granted a proper viewing as she was sent back and crashing into the stones. From afar, she could see that the face underneath the helmet was indeed that of a man, though she couldn’t make out the exact features.

From where they both stood, light gathered into their open hands. For Lady, a mixture of darkness and brilliance came at her beck and call as her rage tainted the energy she broke apart from the Lifestream. 

“Watch it! They’re casting mega-flare!!”

Another blast pried the ground open as the two aimed for each other. Torrential magic let out a high-pitched trill that shook the air and caused a disturbance so deafening that the planet’s core moved in response. Bahamut’s cast was weaker than his initial one, yet it could still easily destroy anyone within its path. Once the fiery beams died down, he was given no time to evade a blow from the clawed fingers that slashed towards him. Lady’s eyes were wild and filled with contempt which only added to the bestial quality that overrode any human-like quirks she once had. 

Coming so close to him, she confirmed what she initially thought when she ripped his helmet off. That he was indeed a beautiful being. With softly-hued lilac hair that matched the color of his eyes, the strands whipped closely around his sharpened jawline as he moved to dodge her. It seemed that he wasn’t used to fighting without his helmet, as no one else had managed to take it off of him in millennia as expected. Yet within the deadly grasp of this wild god, Bahamut found himself entranced by the primordial energy she exudes. The chaotic, untamed, and unhinged side of her that couldn’t hope to be controlled. There seemed to be a quality of elegance in her animalistic desire to rip him apart. 

“ _What will thy accomplish with my death? Thine life will be a lonely one._ ” 

He saw her movements slow. 

“ _Thine companions will perish to time. Leaving thy consigned to fate unending.”_

Kuron’s voice echoed somewhere in the background. Something about begging her not to listen, but alas, she could not hear. 

“ _Their lives will be forfeit regardless of the outcome. But it does not have to be this way._ ” 

Her sword plummeted through the front of his abdomen while one of his was wedged between her shoulder blades. With him pushing her to him and her pulling him close, they were caught in a lock that required the other to move first if they wanted out. Together they stood on a plateau that was miraculously standing even after their bout; their faces were mere inches from each other and she saw how elegant his facial features were. Thin lips that seemed to never turn down nor up; narrowed eyes that had seen countless wars, deaths, and births, all the while shining with a slight crystalline sparkle; hair that seemed to catch the light every time it floated around his strong-angled face. He was beautiful, as she expected. All gods were. 

“ _Join me and thy will never know of loneliness ever again_ . _Only I know of thy pain._ ”

Their blood met each other’s on the two swords that kissed near their chests, mixing and staining the ground beneath them. Bahamut grappled his sword, taking it out of her before taking a few steps back. He made no more moves to attack her and so she cautiously summoned her sword back to her side, holding it close in case he tried something else. Instead, he held his hand out towards her as one would a companion. 

“ _Join me_ ,” he said, still speaking in the tongue of the Hexatheon. “ _Thy will never know of suffering then._ ” 

Lady turned towards her friends. The humans that would perish. When? She did not know. Perhaps years from now, maybe even next week. It didn’t matter ‘how’, really, since it was just a matter of ‘when’. A lump formed in her throat. 

“ _Look not to those perishable fools. Thy would be wise to be with me instead._ ” 

The runes across her face faded and her wings drooped as a pained expression crossed her. Meeting his gaze, she approached him. 

“ _Swear allegiance unto me, and I will have you by my side to rule the newly born world as my queen._ ” 

Lady got on one knee, to the shock of those that were present. She kept her head down as her hand slipped into Bahamut’s. 

“No way..” Noctis gritted his teeth. “This isn’t happening!” 

Kuron had a look of abject horror and was rendered speechless. His mind raced just as the others did, wondering what went wrong to force her onto his side so easily. 

“Is it really over?” Xion whispered, covering her mouth as tears welled in her eyes. “Is she giving us up?”

“No..no! After everything, she betrays us?!” 

“Hey.. What’s the big idea!?”

“This can’t be true. This can’t be happening!”

They couldn’t believe what they were seeing. It all seemed so surreal, like a scene from a nightmare they were forced to digest. 

Bahamut felt the weight of her hand in his and appreciated the power that wrested in those fingers. “ _Thy hath chosen wisely._ ” 

As the winds blew past their ethereal figures, a rumbling in the distance caught his attention. Something large was headed towards them from somewhere far, far away. Subtle laughter tore his attention back to the goddess holding his hand and he saw her shoulders move in accordance to the noise. 

Lady chuckled to herself, turning up at the Bladekeeper with a self-satisfied smirk.

“You weren’t paying attention, were you?”

Unfortunately, the Bladekeeper didn’t know what she was talking about- that is, until he heard the rumbling in the skies grow louder above him. Concealed by the dark clouds that he himself placed on the world, was a large body hurtling from space towards them at astonishing speeds. The clouds parted, seeming to panic as that body crashed through their softened surfaces, revealing a solid mass of dense rock. 

Sephiroth was one of the first to identify it and soon, everyone who was present during that fateful day three years ago did too. 

“It’s Meteor!!!”

Bahamut’s hand tried to pull away from her but found that he was held with a vice-like grip. She pulled him down as she pushed herself up and he met her eyes and saw the way her pupils were dilated, revealing the bits of insanity that were flecked between the irises. 

“I told you, didn’t I?” 

Something black and spherical formed in her free hand. It shook as its energy was being depleted, quivering violently before it broke and the pieces were thrown into his face, blinding him temporarily. She reached around and conjured her sword, stabbing him through the back and not stopping until it pierced her too. Together, they were skewed onto a single blade that not even he could free himself of in his current state. 

“If I’m going to hell… I’m dragging you down with me.” 

With a running start, she launched them off the plateau. Wings unfurled from her back and she flew upwards. Up and up and up until she gained enough speed to meet the destructive force head on. As her name was called from below, she closed her eyes just as their bodies made contact with the meteor. 

*******

There was nothing but white. Pure, eye-straining white as far as her eyes could see. The only reprieve from the garish color was the chestnut colored wood of the veranda she sat upon. A shamisen played with deft fingers sang gently beside her with the musician adorned in an elegant black kimono. 

Onna hummed along to her tune and Lady briefly remembered it as one that she heard as a child. 

“Congratulations are in order. You’ve accomplished what no one thought was possible.” Onna plucked more strings as she spoke. “You’ve done well. As I knew you would.”

“That so?” Lady couldn’t bring herself to look at her mother. Afraid that what she would see was a reincarnation of that face that was covered with her own blood. “I..don’t know how to feel about it.”

“Then don’t. Though you will have to decide what to do next on your own.” Onna stopped playing. “The battle has been won, but your war will continue. You are now the goddess overseeing this world and the ones beyond.”

Her mother set aside the instrument in between them, allowing her to tentatively pick up the shamisen. Strumming the strings to get a feel for the instrument, Lady began to play the notes where her mother left off, adding her own twists and noises to the traditional song. 

“I know.”

“The power you now possess doesn’t have a rival. No one would be able to match you now since the Draconian has passed.”

“I know.”

“You will be alone.”

“I know.”

Rustling clothes alerted her that Onna was getting up and she held her breath for the inevitable. 

“I’m sorry to have passed this on to you.”

“..I know.”

Onna let the scintillating light consume her body. Walking further and further away, she left her daughter behind while she traversed to the great beyond. As the trails of her kimono disappeared, a flash of red sparkles appeared and left a butterfly with crimson wings. It floated towards Lady as she extended a hand to catch it.

“I hope you and dad find peace,” she whispered as the butterfly perched on her nose. It fluttered its wings, as if urging her, telling her, that it was time to wake up.

*******

The meteor blew up upon impact, scattering the pieces throughout the sky while simultaneously clearing up the smog. Holes opened up to allow beams that allowed in natural light, washing away the darkness and bringing about subtle washes of color to the lifeless world. From where the meteor combusted, white particles floated down and were scattered throughout the land, carried by the winds. One of those particles landed on Yuna’s palm and she saw what it was. A white feather. 

Gasping, she followed the feather’s origin just in time for another multi-colored blast to clear the rest of the sky. All of the survivors either covered their eyes or turned their face from the source of illumination. Having spent so long in the darkness, it took a while for them to get adjusted to their new setting. The black clouds were replaced by white ones that strolled lazily across the blue sky and in the middle of it was what they thought was the sun, until it flickered. A shining beacon hovered midair before it shrank down to a smaller size that fit that of a person. That person floated for a bit before finally plummeting down, catching speed as they did. 

White streams lifted from the planet to meet the figure while Leviathan summoned a large body of water to catch the falling figure. They splashed into the pool before that rounded body of water descended into the valley below and filled out its empty space with pure, fresh liquid. Leviathan slipped into the water slowly, diving deep down as the others watched her tail disappear beneath the blue surface. The goddess of the seas soon resurfaced, carrying something in her hand that became more apparent as she approached the coast. Yuna was the first to arrive, running towards Leviathan as she lowered her hand to reveal her passenger. 

Lady’s body was still. Resting comfortably between the contours of her large palm and seemingly sleeping, though her chest didn’t rise nor fall. Leviathan then slipped her carefully onto the ground for Yuna to inspect closer even though the summoned already suspected the worse. She didn’t even notice as Tidus met up with her, his jog slowing down when he saw the still body she was knelt in front of.

With bated breath, the summoner buried her face onto her body with crossed arms cushioning her. Yuna cried onto Lady’s chest, letting the tears fall down freely until she suddenly felt a hand on top of her head. Sitting up, she saw that it was _her_ hand that stroked her hair. 

“You-you’re alive!” 

Pushing herself off the ground, Lady retrieved something from the folds of her armor. Brandishing an orb of white magic that reflected the light and casted a rainbow-colored shadow on the ground. 

“Is that the white materia?” 

She nodded, handing it back to her as if urging Yuna to hand it back to the original owner. 

“How long are you gonna sit there for?” Tidus extended a hand towards her, secretly relieved. “Come on!” 

Grabbing onto him, she was lifted up and was immediately greeted by the sun. Her hand hovered over her eyes, flinching as she was suddenly attacked by such an intense light that hadn’t been seen in ages. Yuna stood beside her, taking her arm while Tidus took the other and together they helped her to stand on her feet. 

With a weak gesture, she pointed at the nearest hill and they helped her get there step-by-step. As soon as they reached the peak, she seated herself on a flattened rock and took a minute to take in the landscape. Transformed was the only word to describe it. From where Midgar used to be was now a large lake with a single, cylindrical stone standing in the middle. 

On that stone island was a wisteria tree. Its roots weaving in and out of the formation to root itself there permanently while its blossoms fell in heaps on the water surrounding it. Varying shades of purple and pastel pink reflected off the blue waters, creating a myriad of softened colors that floated on the water’s surface. When the wind blew through the tree, she could smell the faint perfume that her predecessor used to wear and it made her chest tighten. 

Pouring into the lake were multiple waterfalls that spilled over and created a cloud of mist around the new structure, like a halo. Where there was a plethora of stone and earth that shifted in their response to their battle, there was now a covering of foliage that grew in abundance. Trees and plants and shrubs occupied the area in hordes, replacing the dreary landscape with lush scenery. 

Her final battle had demanded everything from her. She supposed this was her reward for succeeding. 

This transformed world that was hers and hers alone. 

Yuna knelt beside her. “What do we do? What’s next?” 

The goddess stared at the scenery some more before finally turning to her friend. Then, in a voice so low that they had to hold their breath to hear her, she spoke. 

“I’m tired,” she told them. “Let me rest now.” 


	45. Ending: Terra

Terra poked his head around the corner of the hall. No one was there looking back and so he pressed forward with no care in the world, until- 

“Terra! Up for a trainin- Woah.. What’s with your hair?” His attacker came in the form of young Ventus; his eager smile prodding at him to give up his intentions. “You look real weird.”

“You think so?” Terra grumbled then spread his hair back into messy tufts with a quick swipe of his hand. “Thought I would clean myself up a bit..”

“For who? Ohhhhh..” Ventus’ smile turned to a mischievous, toothy grin. A little too similar to Vanitas’. “What are you two lovebirds up to?”

Terra sighed. He could feel the minutes slipping by and he needed to hurry. “I’ll tell you when you’re older, Ven.”

“But I wanna know now!” 

“Thought I heard you out here, Terra.” Another had joined their conversation, leaving the brunet exasperated. “You playing hooky? Tsk tsk. Master Eraqus won’t be pleased.” Riku looked between him and Ventus and seemed to understand what was going on as a small smile turned his lips. 

There was no point in keeping quiet anymore as he had been caught by not one, but two of his closest friends. “Well, can’t you two cover for me? I’ll join you after.”

“That’s not gonna happen. I’m sure she’d want your attention all day,” Riku crossed his arms. “I guess I’ll say you suddenly caught a cold or something.. But you owe me.”

“Lucky.” Ventus pouted. “Aqua’s going to make us run harder when she sees you’re not here.” 

“Aqua’s tough, she won’t need me there.”

Riku put a hand on his shoulder, giving him an affirming nod. “Shouldn’t keep a lady waiting. Especially not her.” 

Ventus’ hand fell on his other shoulder. “You’re a lucky man, Terra.” 

Letting him go, they urged him to run and so he did, waving to them before exiting the castle. As always, a gentle breeze greeted him upon stepping into the forecourt and he took a moment to breathe it in. It wasn’t as if he didn’t enjoy the planet they fought so hard to protect, but- 

More wind picked up and he took it as a sign to keep moving. 

-There really was nothing like home. 

Through moss covered gardens and columns with ivy wrapping around its aging stone, he saw a figure standing against a tree. Half of its roots were sticking out of the rock face it sat on, reaching towards the skies with mangled claws. If there was thing he loved about the Land of Departure, it was the undeniable harmony that this world shared with nature. It helped that there was nary a soul here besides them, serving the Keyblade wielders as a sort of haven they could relax and train freely. 

He was about to call her name, but stopped when he saw another figure was standing next to Lady. Someone with spiky black hair and black clothes. 

_ Vanitas _ . 

Terra didn’t object to having that boy in the mask stay with them here. After all, he was a part of Ventus. They were brothers in a sense and Ventus begged Master Eraqus to have him stay despite all of their apprehensiveness. It was Lady that tipped the scales and so he had a room within the castle alongside the rest of them. He didn’t like Vanitas’ attitude at the best of times, but dealt with it as that was just how it was with all families. 

Vanitas’ head perked up just as Terra came into view and he straightened up. Terra’s jaw locked when he saw her semi-trapped between the trunk of the tree and Vanitas. With his arm pressed up against the bark near her head, he leaned in much too close than Terra would have liked. 

“Took you awhile to sneak out,” Vanitas snickered, still dangerously close to Lady. “Thought I would keep her company till then.”

“Thanks.” His tone was dry and devoid of any true gratitude. “I’ll take it from here.” 

“Worried I might do something?” he challenged. “As if I could. You forget what she is already? I wouldn’t even be able to lay a scratch on her if I wanted.” 

Terra hated arguing with him and so he merely stared, hoping he would get the hint already. 

Vanitas smirked, chuckling to himself before whispering something in Lady’s ear that made her smile. “Fine. You two lovebirds have fun now.” He pushed himself off, walking past Terra with that same infuriating smirk plastered on his face. 

Terra rushed to take his place, afraid that someone else might pop up and steal her attention away again. As he stood against the tree, his stance was awkward, disconcerting even; stick straight posture and with an about-face. It seemed more guard duty than a lover’s meeting. 

A hand rested on his cheek and turned his face towards her. 

“You’re jealous.”

“Wh-” his neck started to heat up. “Of Van? No way.”

“You’re lying.”

Terra sighed and took her hand, gently prying it off of him to cup in his palm. “I just don’t like it when he gets close to you. I feel like he does it on purpose.” 

Lady stroked the inner part of his palm, tracing the callouses where it outlined the handle of his Keyblade. “He does,” she admitted. “And just now, he tried to do it again.” 

“Why?”

“You really don’t see how Aqua looks at you?” Dropping his hand, she put them around her arms instead. “And you don’t see the way she looks at me, either.” 

“What do you mean? Aqua loves you!” Terra saw his friend take Lady out on multiple strolls around the water garden, even cooking together in the kitchen for their meals and always serving them up with excited smiles. They would even sometimes organize sleepovers and invite the other girls from Radiant Garden; he would sometimes hear them gossip and giggle all night long or scrambling around in the kitchen to make a midnight snack.

“Aqua loves me because  _ you _ love me,” she corrected him. “But I know that look. In her eyes, I stole you from her.” Lady’s gaze became far and he could only guess she had her sights trained on her home. In Spira. They would visit sometimes, staying in the old house nestled in the wisteria grove. Some nights he would see her get up when she thought he was asleep, and take a walk in the woods alone. He wouldn’t say anything when she got back, merely wrapping an arm around her and inviting her back to bed. Since the battle on Gaia against Bahamut, something lingered in Terra’s mind afterwards. 

Lady had changed.

Whether for the worse or the better, he wasn’t sure. But he made certain that he spent all of his available waking hours with her as much as possible. 

“Aqua knows what I did to you,” she said, her voice barely over a hoarse whisper. “How I managed to get the black materia using you.” 

_ What? _ Who revealed that to Aqua? “Then she should also know that it wasn’t really you! That was Jenova.”

Shaking her head, she laughed. “You know how it is with you guys. You warriors of light.” 

He knew what she really meant.  _ ‘You Keyblade wielders.’ _

“‘Darkness is meant to be controlled’,” she quoted Eraqus. “‘To let darkness flourish in your heart is to admit your weakness over it’.”

There was nothing he could say as a rebuttal. For years he repeated the same thing. The mindless dogma that constituted their code as warriors. Of course he no longer believed in it as blindly as he used to. He knew better than most that balance between both elements of light and dark were important.

“Aqua thinks I could’ve controlled Jenova better. To not let her take advantage of you.” She sniffed. “She’s probably right. But I was just so goddamn tired at the time that I didn’t care.” 

“That doesn’t matter!” His voice raised. “None of that does. Doesn’t she know what I did to you? After I disappeared, and let Xehanort take over..” He trailed off as he saw her expression melted into that of uncertainty. It told him that Aqua had no idea of the events that transpired while he himself had fallen to darkness. Of how he hurt her. There were times where he couldn’t bear to hold her so tightly, for fear he would somehow do something to her again; despite this, they took it slow, sticking to subtle touches and lingering gazes that turned to something more if she allowed it. “I’m going to tell her. Set this right.” 

“Wait, Terra-!” She hooked a hand around his arm and he felt his whole body being yanked backwards. His eyes widened in surprise at her strength and she sighed. “Sorry. Still getting used to it.” Gently, she pulled him back towards her. “Sit down with me? Please?”

Terra did so reluctantly. Sitting next to her on the grass, in the crooked embrace of two particularly large roots. When he made himself comfortable, she put her head on his shoulder and he felt the knotted wire of frustration untangle and disappear. 

“Don’t tell her,” she whispered. “It’s better off if she doesn’t know.”

“Are you sure?”

“I want her to remember you as her friend. Untainted by darkness. Having done nothing wrong in his life.”

“But it’s not fair-”

“Nothing rarely is. But that’s okay. I just want things to stay like this.” She closed her eyes as he wrapped her hand with his again. “I want to enjoy these moments with you all as much as possible.”

He felt his heart shrivel up. He was only twenty-three, but years to him were probably minutes to her. Minutes to days, hours to weeks, days to years. She was right, as she usually was. It was better off keeping this balance between them all; if not for all their sakes, for her. 

“Let’s go world hopping again,” he squeezed her hand tight, thinking of where they could stop by. “I’ll take you to all of the worlds I’ve visited on my journeys.”

She smiled, burying her face in his shoulder. “Eraqus and Xehanort won’t be pleased.”

Those two old men rarely were. Xehanort sometimes stayed within the castles, taking breaks from his expeditions to other worlds as he’d done before. This, again, was not up to Terra. Though given Lady’s presence, it was deemed acceptable as no one, not even Xehanort, would dare to act up in the goddess’ wake. 

“They won’t know,” Terra grinned, feeling like a schoolboy trying to whisk away his crush to skip classes. “And if they did, so what?”

“You’ve changed, Master Terra,” she jabbed him playfully. “Aren’t you supposed to be finding more Keyblade wielders to train?” 

It was agreed that more guardians of light should be trained in case anything like the incident on Gaia ever happened again. Despite this, Terra was sure that nothing of the sort would. As far as he was aware, the woman holding his hand was the strongest being in all the worlds- and quite possibly beyond. 

“There’s no rush,” he assured her. “We have all the time in the world to relax. You deserve it.”

“Where would we go? That castle with the princess in glass slippers?”

“I have another idea actually. We could visit that world after if you’d like.”

Leaning in to kiss him on the cheek, she wrapped her arm around his. “Surprise me.”

*******

By the time they reached their destination, it had grown late with the sun now taking a step into the horizon. This was perfect for Terra, as this was around the same time that he had last arrived at this place. His glider hummed to a stop as the sand dispersed underneath the boosters. Once they landed, he hopped off first and helped Lady off before the ride turned back into his Keyblade and disappeared. 

Orange flecks given by the sun had reflected off the surface, casting an amber hue on the ocean’s depths before graduating to a deep blue. “What is this place?” She asked, drawing a small circle on the sand with her toe. “It reminds me of home.” 

“Destiny Islands,” he said. “Sora, Riku, and Kairi grew up here.” He took her hand and led her up a wooden ramp. “So did Xehanort.”

She chortled, finding it hard that such a quaint island as this to be able to hold that man’s lust for power. “Is that so?”

“That’s what Master Eraqus told me long ago.” 

The wooden ramp circled a small house built into the grass covered cliff. It housed a shoddily crafted stool, along with some wooden swords that were scattered on the floor. Nearby was a small waterfall that spilled into a pool of equal size; built next to it were a series of ladders and ramps, forming a sloppy replica of civilization and it was then she realized that these structures were made for smaller hands and feet. 

“They played here a lot, I’m assuming.” 

“Yup. This is where I first found Riku.”

“‘Found’?”

“Long time ago,” he began to explain. “I found this world by mistake and landed here. Riku was a lot younger and less grumpier when I met him then.” Terra laughed, remembering the boy he’d met that was excited to explore worlds and leave this small space. “It’s also when I performed a Bequeathing.” 

“Sounds serious. What was involved?”

“Not much, just some words and a keen eye for talent.” They stopped once they reached the end of the wooden plank. It led them to a circular islet with a couple of palm trees and one that grew horizontally. Terra attempted to help her up onto the trunk, though she ascended gracefully on her own. 

From where she was perched, she had a clear view of the persimmon painted ocean. “Are there words involved in a bequeathing?” 

“A couple. You curious?”

“Let’s hear it.” 

“In your hand, take this key.

So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking-

Its wielder you shall one day be. 

And you will find me, friend. 

No ocean will contain you then. 

No more borders around, or below, or above-

So long as you can champion the ones you love.”

“Seems romantic,” she mused. 

Terra felt embarrassed, bashful in her presence after reciting those words. “Speaking of which. You see those over there?” He pointed towards the top of the tree that was the only thing that grew in the right direction. Underneath the fanning palms were golden fruit that were shaped like stars. 

“Paopu fruit,” she nodded. “Right?”

“Right.” He hopped off the trunk and reached for one. Grasping it in both hands, he stood in front of her. Swallowing, he cleared his throat loudly to make sure he wouldn’t trip up on his own words. “In your hand, take this fruit..”

She grinned, extending her hand out to the star. 

“So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking-”

Terra placed it into her receiving palm. 

“Its wielder you shall one day be.”

Taking a bite, she kept her eyes on him. 

“And you will find me, my love. No ocean will contain you then.” 

He was in between her legs now, hands resting by her hips on the elevated trunk as she put her elbows on her knees to get closer to his face. 

“No more borders around, or below, or above. So long as I can champion you, my love.”

Terra lifted the back of her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. 

Lady held the paopu fruit to his lips and he took a bite that nibbled off another of its vertices. “New version?” She lifted his chin to place a soft kiss on his lips. 

“It belongs to us,” he murmured against her before pressing in more for another kiss. “Do you still remember what I said about the paopu fruit?”

“If two people share one, their destinies are intertwined forever?” 

“Yeah,” he nodded, holding her hand. “I’m..” a red tint showed up on his cheeks, “I’m glad you’re with me. I’m glad out of everyone.. You chose me.”

She cupped his face and stroked his cheek with her thumb. “You’re talking nonsense again. Let’s just enjoy this. Don’t think about anyone else.”

“But I need to know.”

“Again? Terra, how many times has it been..”

He called her true name and she became still. He only invoked her true name whenever it was truly serious. “I need to know you’re here.. Out of your free will.”

She had his face in both hands. “Do you still fear those purple eyes?” He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but she knew better. “Terra.. I’m here because I love you. Even after all we’ve been through, it doesn’t change how I feel.” 

He was still unsure. “What about Xemnas?”

“What about him?” She blinked then saw the remains of his hair on which he used some sort of product on it before messing it back up to his regular style. It was obvious whose style he tried to mimic. “Oh, Terra..” 

“He looks like me, right? Or.. I look like him.”

“We had something in the past, sure, but I’m here with you. Doesn’t that mean anything?” 

He took a deep breath and pressed his forehead onto her skin. “It does. Sorry. I’m just-”

“Jealous?” She raised him by the chin to kiss his forehead. “I know. There’s ways to combat that.” To prove her point, she traced a finger across the exposed part of his neck and drew a star. “Our destinies are intertwined forever after all.” 

Grinning in response, Terra helped her off the trunk and wrapped his arms around her. “I want you to know something. I’ll never forgive myself for the things I’ve done to you. But I also want you to know I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make up for that. To be given this chance to love you as myself.. It’s more than I could ever hope for.”

“What’s brought this on?” She leaned in. “Saying all these things.”

He lifted her chin up and kissed her firmly. “I love you, that’s why. I just don’t wanna be an idiot and mess this up too.” 

“You won’t, now stop worrying so much.” She backed away, leading him towards the middle of the islet. “Now, don’t you owe me a dance?” One hand on her hip while the other was held up in a pair besides them, he took the first step while she went backwards. 

“You wouldn’t want to dance in a ballroom instead?”

“I like it here with just the two of us. Even if there’s no music.”

Terra spun her around, catching her on the third step and stealing another kiss- all in one fluid motion. “There won’t always be music,” he quoted her mother. 

Another spin took place before he dipped her low and brought her back up for another kiss. 

“But we’ll always have each other.” 


	46. Ending: Ignis

Ignis strolled down the busy canal streets of Altissia. The sun had not yet risen completely and so the city in the ocean still slept soundly with barely any residents up, save for the ones whom he acquired his ingredients from. Once he reached a building that overlooked the docks, he took out his key and entered. 

It was a lovely two story building that also doubled as a bakery and kitchen on the first floor. There was a white brick exterior marbled with ivy leaves that clambered up to the wooden shutters of the windows crafted from cerulean stained glass. Inside was furnished with what you expected out of a chic café, with high stools situated near the bar and tables positioned near windows. Each setting where a customer could sit had a slim vase of water with a single alstroemeria lily adorning it. 

Setting the brown paper bag of groceries onto the counter, he turned on the espresso machine before retrieving one of the baguettes he set out to cool earlier. Slicing it, he spread strawberry jam and butter onto the bread and put two pieces onto a plate. Once the machine whirred to let him know it was ready to use, he made two cups. Placing the food all onto one tray, he started to carry it up the stairs, but stopped to pluck a fresh flower off from one of the windowsill planters and placed it near the plate. 

Gently opening the door to his bedroom, he saw his tossed up sheets on his bed move a bit to the noise before going still again. A figure was rolled up in the blankets, laying on his side of the bed with their head stuffed into the pillows and showed no signs of moving. 

Ignis couldn’t help but smile at the sight as he placed the tray down at the foot of the bed before taking a seat next to the figure. With the gentlest touch he could manage, he shook them awake and saw the sheets pull down to reveal what was inside. 

“You left without me again..” Lady stifled a yawn, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “I thought you said we could go to the market together.”

“Apologies,” he took her hand and kissed the knuckles. “I couldn’t bear the thought of waking you up. Not when you looked so peaceful.” 

She sat up on her elbows with her eyes still half-lidded. “You say that, yet I see how you treat Noctis.” 

“Noct was a different breed,” he said. “You deserve every minute of rest you can obtain.” Pulling the tray closer to them, he offered her one cup of coffee. “I’ve brought breakfast. Hopefully this serves as a worthy offering to my absence.” 

She let the cup sit in her hand for a bit, enjoying the warmth it gave. Bringing it to her lips, she took a sip before graduating to a generous gulp. “Excellent, as always. But I require more for you to rectify your mistake.”

“Name your price.”

“Are you sure?”

“Always.”

She smiled, taking another sip as Ignis watched. Her hair was a mess, layers of her original color mixed in with the white and silver hues. A not-so-subtle reminder from her transformation a couple months ago. The strands of her nightgown were slipping off her shoulders, only adding to the notorious look of someone who’d just arisen from their dreams. Still, Ignis couldn’t think of anything more beautiful. 

“I want to wake up with you tomorrow,” she declared. “I want to see your face next to mine.”

He chuckled. “Is that all you ask of me?”

Her hands found the lapel of his shirt. “A kiss as well.” 

“Naturally.” Leaning forward, he tasted the coffee beans he chose with the utmost care on her lips. “I may have gotten the shopping done, but I will require your help in the kitchen if you feel up to the task.”

Downing the rest of her coffee and toast, she nodded. “I’ll freshen up first.”

Ignis stopped her before she could get up any further to wipe off pieces of crumbs on the side of her mouth with his thumb. “You look gorgeous this morning.” 

“And you look stunning,” she slipped off the bed to open the window latch. “As always,” she finished with a cheeky wink before peeking out over the sill. 

At this angle, her nightgown had ridden up to reveal the lace lingerie underneath and this made Ignis look for an excuse to adjust his glasses. Upon seeing the silken material outlining the shape of her body, he found that his mind wandered to unsavory thoughts he wouldn’t dare act on. Yes, they shared a bed- but he never had the audacity of engaging in any sexual acts nor tried eliciting any from her. He was much too chivalric for that. Even to a fault. 

“Shall we match today?” She walked over to the closet and picked out a white dress with blue pinstripes. It was in the same fashion as his, save for slightly more width in the pattern. To his surprise, she pulled her nightgown over her head in exchange for the dress and he nearly choked on his coffee at the sight of her semi-nude form. After she poked her head out of the collar, Ignis was there just as she began buttoning up the top. 

His fingers quickly closed up the gap between the buttons and she could only stare in disbelief. “I’ll prepare the mise en place,” he said before quickly dismissing himself. 

*******

On the custom wooden bar door of their café on the dockside was a sign hanging to alert customers if they were closed or not. Currently, Ignis had it flipped to the sign ‘closed’ and when he heard a knock at the door, he placed his knife down and sighed. What was the purpose of a sign if people chose to ignore it?

Upon opening the door, he was greeted with a sight for sore eyes. 

“Hey there, Iggy. Look sharp!” 

A bag was tossed towards him to which he caught. “I take it the three of you will be in town for a bit?”

“C’mon, Specs. Thought you’d be at least a little happy to see us.” Noctis flashed a grin from underneath the brim of his cap. They exchanged their black battle fatigues for clothings fit for civilians. No doubt to blend in and appear as unassuming travelers. 

“Are you cooking something? I’m starving!” Prompto popped up from behind, trying to poke his head inside the café. “Can we go in? Pleeaasseeee?”

Ignis remained firm. “The sign says closed.”

“Don’t be so cold, Iggy. Invite us in already,” said Gladio who kept the door from closing shut entirely with an arm. 

Ignis sighed. “I’m only worried about the repercussions if I do. As in that all of my stock would deplete before any real customers would arrive.”

“Then put it on his tab,” Gladio clapped Noctis on the shoulder. “‘Sides, King Regis would be happy to front you guys, you know that.”

Ignis cracked a smile, finally giving up. “Take a seat, but don’t touch the pastries yet.”

Noctis and Prompto practically ran in, their faces pressed against the display case where it contained all of the desserts and entrees that Ignis had already prepared. It had been a while since they’d last seen their beloved Tactician’s famous cooking. Just looking at it from beyond the thick glass was enough to set their salivary glands going and their promise to not touch anything was almost broken. They decided to sit in arguably the best seat in the house. A small half-pavillion tapered into the wall that was surrounded by a circled portion comprised entirely of glass to allow them a view of the pier. It had a generously sized table with four seats and, as all tables did, had a vase of alstroemeria flowers that sent about a light perfume.

Prompto sat down as Ignis placed a tray of leftover croissants he wouldn’t mind being eaten, along with a few more that came out less than satisfactory on presentation. The blond pulled the magazine laying next to the vase closer to him and let out a low whistle. “Lady’s modeling gig really pulled through, huh?”

A picture of her was taking the whole front cover of a popular fashion magazine that circulated in society’s highest circles. Laying over a fainting couch in a pose that enhanced her contours, her body was draped in frivolous satins and ruffles; only ever showcasing the best of what Vivienne Westwood had created as the famous designer announced publicly that Lady was to be her permanent muse. Since then, her fame, and Westwood’s designs had skyrocketed. 

“That time we were here in Altissia helped. Vivienne probably refuses to let anyone else dress her or do her makeup.” Gladio flipped through the zine, seeing all of the different poses and clothes being displayed on the beautiful model. “Damn. She looks good. I’m assuming none of these are shopped?”

“Of course not,” Ignis replied with haste. “Her beauty is her own. There’s nothing there that’s fabricated.”

Gladio took a bite of the croissant and chewed. “You’re a lucky man, Iggy. Damn lucky.”

“Yeah.. Who knew you guys would end up together?” Prompto wondered aloud then realized that eyes were set upon him. “N-not like that! I’m just asking, uh, why did she want to settle down with you?”

Noctis shook his head at the blond. “If you don’t want to talk, then..you don’t have to, Specs.”

“It’s fine,” he assured them and took a seat himself. A hand ran through his hair, something he hadn’t taken the time to groom backwards and instead fell in a lazy swoop across his forehead. “This idea of a café wasn’t mine, I’ll have you know. It was hers.”

“Really?” Prompto leaned forward. “When?”

“Do you recall the resort we visited a few years ago?”

Gladio rubbed his chin. “The one where we saw the lantern festival?”

“Precisely. We were conversing and she brought the idea up. Thought it a mere fantasy at first and resigned to forget it altogether.. Until she brought it up again after the battle.” 

“Why in Altissia?” Noctis asked. “Thought she wouldn’t want anything to do with it after what happened.”

“The city is beautiful,” he replied. “And most here don’t know her face intimately. That was enough for her, I think.” Ignis adjusted the lilies in the middle of the table. “I aim to spend the rest of my time here with her with what time we’ve left.” His eyes honed in on Noctis. “If that’s alright with you, Your Highness.”

Noctis nodded, smiling at his long time friend and retainer. “I think we’ve got it under control back home, Ignis. And far as I’m concerned, you two will always have a place in Insomnia no matter what- if you need it.”

Ignis relaxed, being formally relieved of his duties. “You have my gratitude. Though I assume you’re here for more than a social call?”

Gladio hummed in amusement. “Got that right. Officiating the marriage between one of the Lucis Caelum line aaaand-”

“-Another from the Nox Fleuret,” Prompto finished as he raised his eyebrows suggestively. 

“You and Lady Lunafreya?” said Ignis. 

“You seem surprised,” Noctis chuckled nervously and tore apart his bread. “Dad said it was time I started looking for a queen, so..”

“I see.” 

“I thought I heard voices down here.” Lady descended from the stairs, having changed into a completely new dress. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” they all greeted her in turn. 

“Did I hear right?” She approached them. “You’re getting married?”

Noctis turned red. “I- uh, yeah. Just formal stuff. Luna and I are just going over the papers before it actually happens.”

“You and Luna? Well, congratulations, Noct!”

The prince could only smile and nod, not knowing what to say. That’s when Ignis saw it flash across his eyes like a shooting star. 

_ Regret _ . 

“He, uh,” Noctis paused. “I know Ignis will take real good care of you.” It seemed like there was more to his sentence, but both he and her knew that there was nothing more to say to each other.

Gladio sensed a mood that could possibly turn sour and cleared his throat to signal a retreat. “About time we head on out and see the Altissian council. Right, Highness?”

Noctis ripped his eyes from her. “Y-yeah.”

Prompto stood to follow them, laughing a bit too loudly as he did. “We’ll see you guys afterwards though!”

Lady watched them as they left, seeing Gladio ruffle Noctis’ hair through the window. “Lunafreya Lucis Caelum,” she mused. “They’ll make a good couple, don’t you think?” 

“I’m afraid it’s more political than personal,” Ignis stated. “You’ve changed your dress.”

“I didn’t think you liked the other one,” she replied simply, walking over to the counter and putting on an apron. At first, Ignis didn’t seem to enjoy the idea of her in the kitchen with him. Purely on the notion that he didn’t think it fitting to have a goddess slave away for their shop- but she insisted strongly that this is what she needed. A dose of normalcy. 

Her voice pulled him out of a daydream. “Are you going to just sit there? Or will you help me tie this on?” She said with a wink. 

*******

“I’m starting to think it’s your scrumptious desserts that keep bringing them back,” Lady laughed as she began to pile the dishes into the sink. “I’m also starting to think you don’t need me to survive.”

Ignis cleaned down the counters, craning his neck to stretch it. “Preposterous. I wouldn’t be here without you.” He heard the sink stop running. 

“I think you’d do just fine without me, actually.” 

He stopped too, riveting around to face her but was met with her back turned to him. “What’s brought this on?” 

Her hand raised to touch the knob again to turn the water back on. “It’s nothing. Forget it.” 

Ignis knew better than to do just as she asked and he approached her, standing a respectable distance from behind. “Talk to me. What’s on your mind?”

The sink stopped and her hands sat on the edge, holding herself up as she sighed. “It just seems like you don’t really want me here, Ignis. It seems like I forced you here. I just..” she sighed, using a hand to cover her face, despite being hidden from him anyway.

“I didn’t come here by force. I came here because I wanted to.” 

“Then why does it seem like..” she took a deep breath. “You don’t touch me. At all. You only do so after I invite you to.”

Ignis remembered how she changed her dress earlier, claiming that he didn’t like it even though he thought anything she wore was beautiful. But this issue dug deeper, far beyond the surface they were currently treading. He knew why she was asking and it was about time he told the truth anyways. 

“I don’t see myself being worthy to touch you,” he admitted. “You deserve nothing less than the consented touch of another and I won’t do so otherwise. You are a goddess, I’m only a human.” Inhaling, he composed himself. “I’m not a man privy to revealing how he feels, but please understand that having the honor of loving you, of being close to you.. It's the greatest thing I’ve been granted. Despite this, I believe your affections towards me are misplaced.”

With that, he left in the direction of the back room and she stood there, mulling over his words. It had shocked her, sure, that he thought so high of her. That he viewed her as the stars in the sky as a man gazing from a patch of dirt. 

*******

Ignis sat the desk going over the sales from the day and as always, everything was either perfectly balanced or into the green. Rent was something they barely struggled with and they had his kitchen skills and her modeling career to thank for that. He set his pen down and closed his eyes. Why had he run off like that? 

He could only imagine what her face really looked like after telling her everything. 

Would she leave? Live as how she was meant to- as an ethereal goddess that traveled between planes regularly instead of having to wake up in this small bakery with him every day?

The lamp on his desk reflected a soft yellow light off of his leather gloves. Absent-mindedly, he rubbed over the material and was reminded of the days when he traveled with Noct, the others, and her. How every wayward glance she gave him was caught and had him hoping for more along the way. 

Getting up, he began closing the curtains around the office and stopped before the last one to take in the view. The office had the pleasure of giving him a waterfront view and it made him grateful that they could live in such an ideal place without struggle. Moonlight took place on the Altissian waters with the silver patches floating in blurred opals that disappeared underneath the surface. It truly was exquisite here. 

“Can I come in?” Came a voice at the door. 

“Of course,” he said as he pulled the curtains closed. “You don’t have to ask-” The words stopped short in his throat when he saw what was waiting for him at the front of his desk. 

She stood in full view of him with an apron draped over her front. There was an absence of underwear as he’d seen no cloth hanging off the curve of her hips or the slope of her breasts. Underneath that apron, she was completely nude. 

Ignis struggled to find words and even when he did, he stammered trying to get them out. She approached him, hips swaying and catching the light graciously. Rounding the desk, she first moved his documents and files before taking their place. With her foot she pushed the chair further away and gestured to it. “Have a seat.”

He did so and was brought closer. Both of his elbows on the arms of the chair as he sat back and took in the sight before him. “You’re beautiful,” he breathed and she grinned. 

“If I told you I wanted you to touch me..” Her legs spread for him with a hand running down her thigh. 

“I would,” he finished, doing his best to remain still in the chair. That primal part of him wanted to take her right there, on his desk. Carelessly throwing things aside just to have her over and over again- but he practiced patience and so patient he would be. If nothing else, a level head was his forté. 

Her head tilted. “So touch me.”

Ignis leaned forward ever so slightly, his lips parted to speak. “Would it be so bold of me to request that you touch yourself first?”

This caught her off guard and from here on out, he took the lead. His voice dropped to a low rumble, commanding and attentive. “Pleasure yourself. Show me what you desire most.” 

Spreading her legs some more, she moved the apron to the side and felt a chill as she did. Perhaps it was nerves that made her seize up so suddenly, but she pushed forward to run her fingers over her folds. Once they felt well lubricated, she pushed in slowly and exhaled softly at the sensation of her insides being opened up. Leaning back on one arm, she started to pump herself in and out, feeling her face heat up at the prospect of an audience. Even if it was just one man, the way he watched her was enough to earn a bashful sigh that made her close her eyes. 

“Keep them open,” he instructed her and so she did, just enough to where she could see his narrowed eyes that focused on her so intently. 

Her fingers became slick, spilling over in clear pools onto the edge of his desk. He didn’t seem to mind and as she curled her fingers up to find her g-spot, she bit down on her lips and whined as the sensation within her throbbed. 

Ignis sat there, legs crossed, hands sitting in his lap as she became progressively undone. Reaching forward, he grasped the sides of her apron on her chest and bunched it together until her breasts came loose from the folds. The sensation of his leather gloves over her skin made her gasp and she imagined those gloves touching her everywhere on her body. 

As her fingers squirmed deep inside of her, she did her best to hold back another moan as she felt herself being brought closer and closer to a climax. Thankfully, he placed a hand on hers to stop. Bringing his other hand close to his mouth, he used his teeth to free his hand of the glove and she soon felt his hand run over her thigh. 

“This is what you wanted?” His voice became as thick as the demi-glacé he stirred for their candlelit dinners. “For me to touch you?” 

A hand ran over her hip and underneath his fingertips, he felt her shiver in response. Each touch of his elicited another like feedback and he truly saw, in that moment, that this was her ultimate wish. 

Pushing off the chair to stand up, he leaned towards her ears. “For me to-“ his lips kissed her lobe, “- _ ravish _ you?”

“Please, Ignis. I’m yours.” 

That was enough for the man to finally relinquish his reservations. His lips descended upon hers, taking her mouth as their tongues danced around each other. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she pulled him down, hungry for more on what he had to offer. Since it was required that he leave his doubts at the door, he allowed himself to feel the curve of her hips before resting on her ass. Squeezing them, he brought her closer as she let out a soft exhale when his lips found her neck. His tongue treated her like the most delicate pastry, enjoying the smooth texture that vibrated every so often when his name escaped her lips. 

“I’ve dreamt of this for so long,” she whispered, working her fingers around his belt and undoing it. “Of you and me.”

Ignis felt his cock spring forward, being made fully aware just how bad he wanted this as well. “As have I.”

Guiding the head of his member towards her entrance, he pushed in and felt her warm lips greet him. He couldn’t help but let a satisfied groan escape him. The thought of taking this woman whom he’d secretly fantasized over for so long still seemed far-fetched, even as he was buried deep inside of her. Urging him to move, she wrapped her legs around his hips and inched closer. When he thrust inside and she let out a pleasured mewl, he knew he wanted to hear more and even scorned himself for not doing this sooner.

Smoother than any cream patisserie, sweeter than all caramel dulce.. It wasn’t hard for the man to become hooked onto this libidinous activity. Especially when it was done with the woman he so desperately fell in love with.

“Ignis-!” She gasped, feeling the top of his cock rub at her clitoris all the while he thrusted. Her nails found his back, even through the cloth, he felt how sharply she clawed into him. As there was barely any space between their bodies, sweat began to form, fogging up his glasses and obscuring his vision. Instinctively he stopped, as it was a personal requirement to see at all times; but he found that they were taken off for him and set somewhere safely to the side. 

Ignis vision was never fully impaired, but only made perfect with the help of lenses. Even now, he was struggling not to stop completely just to clean his glasses. He wanted to see everything without hindrance. He wanted to see _ her _ without hindrance. 

“Ignis,” she panted, holding his face to hers. “Focus.” Her lips kissed his jawline while tugging on his shirt, nearly ripping the buttons off with frustrated force. The legs wrapped around his waist only tightened, resuming his center of attention. Without the foggy lenses, he saw that her face was reddened at the cheeks; the same color of the roses he would sometimes wrap in a bouquet for her. Her breasts rose and fell, sweat dripping between the curves and rendering the thin apron transparent. It made him swallow hard as the sight of her in that naked apron made him even more lustful. 

With both hands gripping the underside of her thighs, his dick slipped out just before he slammed back inside of her; watching how her breasts bounced with the movement of his thrusts. Her lips were pink and flush, as she bit on them constantly between moaning his name. Their hands intertwined as he whispered sweet encouragements while laying her back down onto the desk. His movements were slow at first to make sure she was comfortable before going at a pace he knew he would soon arrive at a climax with. Running his fingers over her clit, he watched in delight as her head was thrown back while he stimulated her further.

“You are so beautiful,” he breathed, taking her face to kiss her cheek. “So, so beautiful.”

Her back arched as his body pressed against hers, feeling his cock throb within her. Ignis began to pull away but was stopped as she pulled him closer. “Inside,” she encouraged him. “It’ll be okay.” 

He would’ve protested. But this was his woman, so there should be no hesitation to fulfill any request she gave him. 

She felt his cock twitch before spilling into her, filling her up with his cum and leaving no empty space between. Sighing, she loosened her grip on him to leave a trail of chaste pecks down his neck. “Thank you,” she sighed. 

Sweat had adhered his hair to his forehead and dangerously close to his eyes, almost intruding his vision with spiked pieces. This time he let it lie and instead focused on her. His hand held her face. “My love.”

“Come to bed with me.” It was more than a simple question. She wanted him to stop working for tonight and instead reallocate that attention towards her.

He was more than happy to oblige. 

“Lead the way.”

*******

Ignis awoke remarkably late. A rare occurrence for a man of his record. He immediately began to think of how he would have to cut off a few extra preparations just to open the shop in time. 

“Mmm…”

All thoughts of productivity immediately stopped and he turned to his side to see his woman shifting between the sheets. 

“Morning,” she murmured softly, happy that she had her request granted. Which was the simple act of being able to wake up beside the one she loved.

He reached over, caressing her face. “Did you sleep well?”

“Divine,” she said, sitting up to stretch her arms above her head. “You?”

“I can certainly say that was the most restful sleep I’ve had in years.” Ignis searched for his glasses, reaching over to his nightstand but only feeling cold wood. “Where are- ah. That’s right.”

“You left them downstairs,” she chuckled. “Want me to fetch them for you?”

“That won’t be necessary.” 

“Then, allow me.” Scooting closer to him, she took his face in her hands and laid a kiss on each of his closed eyes. Ignis sat silent, feeling her gentle touches and enjoying them until she pulled away. When he opened his eyes once more, he found that everything had gained perfect clarity. Except this time, he didn’t require lenses for such an immaculate view. 

“Is this the power of the divines?” He ran his fingers over one lid. “To grant such miracles?” There was a smile on his face and found that he still made a move to push up his glasses, even though there was none resting on his nose. A habit he would soon need to break. As his fingers intertwined with hers, an idea popped into his head. “If you can do this, do you think it possible to grant me longer life-“

A finger stopped him from proceeding any further. “I can heal wounds and mend the planet.. but I can’t grant eternal life, Ignis, I’m sorry.” 

Ignis knew it was futile, but he wanted to try nonetheless. Something, anything, to be able to live a complete life by her side; never leaving her alone without the fear of letting old age grip him. Of course, that was impossible. He was a mere human, after all. So he only had to enjoy the rest of their time together as much as he could. With that in mind, he leaned forward to kiss her with a clear goal to make more of their moments last. Minutes to days, hours to weeks, days to years.

“My love. My goddess.” 


	47. Ending: Ravus

Altissia’s watery surfaces were lit up, exposed to the multicolored fireworks that erupted and fizzled out like dying stars in the inky blackness of the night sky. If it weren’t for the fact that celestial bodies couldn’t speak nor form words or thoughts, one would assume they were jealous with how this mortal plane mimicked, or even surpassed, the way the stars were lit that night. Everyone in the city of water were partaking in the merriment; dancing with anyone who was willing, dressed in brilliant silks and donning masks that added to the austere mystique of this festival. Statuettes decorated the plazas and streets; both little and small, some sold as trinkets by merchants or displayed for tourists; but all of them adored and revered by any who laid eyes on them. 

There were six in total. One of Leviathan, the temperamental goddess of the seas. One of Ifrit, the unyielding god of fire. One of Shiva, the tolerant goddess of ice. One of Ramuh, the just god of thunder. One of Titan, the awe-inspiring god of the earth. All of them were in their respective elements in show of nothing but utter respect. The five of their statues were crowded around another one- a far bigger statue that demanded it be looked at first. A statue crafted with what one would assume be pure crystal and starlight. It presented a figure clad in ornamental armor, with four wings jutting out from the back in a spread that gave the image it was about to take flight at any moment. On the head was a helmet with horns, concealing the face underneath and rendering one unworthy of even peeking underneath its mask. 

This one, this special statue, was the goddess of war. 

None knew of her true name and so they dubbed it as they saw fit. With monikers respecting her original station.  _ Goddess of War, Maiden of Strife, Lady of the Lifestream, Queen of the Six.  _ They were all said with only the highest of respects in fear that this goddess would overhear and strike them down. Of course, almost all who were here never saw her powers in person and only by hearsay. But news of the events of Midgar had reached over countries and seas, and one only needed to see the damage that left the valley reshaped to imagine the power this goddess held. Not to mention how that dreadful Meteor had appeared over their planet again, only to be destroyed by two ethereal beings, with only one coming back alive.

Amongst the crowd of merry-makers, a single man stood against the undulating waves of people. A man in white with hair so silvery that it almost looked aglow in the pale moonlight. His clothes befit the regality of his figure, with a white coat bearing the insignia of House Nox Fleuret. A name that many related to the divine due to their dealings, and treated them with such.

Ravus Nox Fleuret stood at the far end of the festival, shrouded in secrecy and darkness and a look of disdain. Had he known there would be so much commotion upon his visit here in Altissia, perhaps he would’ve postponed it or not come at all. Unluckily for him, his beloved little sister was here as well and she encouraged him to take a stroll and ‘relax’, as she put it casually. His mouth was down turned in an almost permanent scowl and this was what drove away women and men alike who wanted to ask this handsome figure for a dance or a stroll. If it wasn’t for the scowl that frightened them, it was the way his eyes flashed with irritation in the dark that successfully chased them off. All except for one. 

“A prince so far from home? How rare.” A voice mused behind him and he turned quickly to catch naught but the still night air. He took a moment to survey that view before turning again and seeing a woman standing there where there was none just a second ago. Covering her face was a gold painted mask glittered with silver shavings with the sides curling up into horns that were veined with even more gold. Her dress shifted in hues of astral fire as a small gale blew through them, but when they became still, they transformed back into the color of night. “Wouldn’t he like to go back to his castle already?”

Ravus wasted no time with formalities as it seemed she already knew of his identity. “I would prefer solitude over this drabble, true, but I also prefer knowing the names of those who know of me.”

“In due time, my prince,” the woman grinned, flashing her pearly teeth at him. “What brings you to this festival?”

_ My beloved sister.  _ “An implorement.”

“Are you even aware of what this festival celebrates?”

_ I care not.  _ “No.”

“A feast to honor the gods,” she began pacing, her heeled steps revealing themselves from underneath the folds of her black gown. “Public worship for the deities of our world.” 

Something about this woman seemed familiar to him, and he could not yet place as to why that was. Her mask caught the fire of the lit brazier adjacent to him, revealing a set of crystalline eyes that peered from the holes of the porcelain construct. The longer he stared into those eyes, the more he felt drawn into it, almost being dragged against his will if he hadn’t the mind to steel himself. At this point he wasn’t sure whether to walk away or continue this conversation with this woman. He was somewhere in the middle of that decision when she held her hand out towards him, seemingly deciding for him. 

“Come, let’s take a walk.”

“Are you asking?”

“No,” she chuckled. “Asking would imply you had a choice in the matter. I implore you, as you have been to come here in the first place.” 

He wasn’t sure if he would regret this. But if anything, Ravus knew he would, at the very least, be promised an interesting night. 

“Very well.”

It was then the woman wrapped an arm around his, allowing the loose sleeves of her dress to shift and contrast with his suit. Before he could protest about being in contact with her, she had seemed to read his mind. “This will deter any interested parties should they see your stunning figure, Your Highness.” 

“You mean to be a princess in extension?”

“I’m the knight that rescues you, actually. From your loneliness.” 

“Who’s to say I am lonely?”

“You did. With that sorry look on your face.” She stole a glance at him, holding his heterochromatic gaze. “Your expressions exudes displeasure, but your hands..” she paused, stopping to take his hands and showing them to him. “They seek to touch. To be a part of these festivities.”

“Don’t be foolish.” Ravus scanned the crowd. “To think they can become so carefree after all that’s transpired. Their hubris disorients me.”

“It’s been a year since the second Meteor, Your Highness. They’ve cause to celebrate.”

This time, he turned his gaze to her. “Is that why you’re here?”

“Something akin to that, yes.” Her eyes twinkled with mischief, and from the lower half of her face that was uncovered by a mask, her lips were upturned. “I’ve come to watch.”

“They weren’t there, yet they think they have cause for celebration..” Ravus’ scowl deepened. “They know not the price that was paid for their peace.”

“It seems you know of that cost.” 

His head snapped to her. “Not I. My sister.”

“I heard Lady Lunafreya was unharmed in the battle against the Dragon and his minions. Am I wrong?”

Ravus remembered the days when the sun was shrouded. Lunafreya spent days on her feet tending to the sick and wounded and even when she had periods of rest, someone had always come, begging for aid. It infuriated him, seeing how his sister, the Oracle, took on all the responsibility without ever asking for anything in return. It infuriated him even more when he realized he could do nothing to help her. All his life, he only ever practiced the blade and never acts of healing or compassion as his sister devoted her entire life to. It didn’t help that Prince Noctis was there, making it worse by skulking over the loss of their members. More specifically in the loss of the one woman he'd always see with him. That one who used to provide him lodging at some far away city. He didn't see the point in mourning the dead when her dead body was delivered to the Citadel by her familiars, but all of that turned out to be a ruse. Though of course, this was seen through the veil of prejudice that Ravus always had for the Little Prince and by extension, those close to him whom he assumed were his enablers. It was all the more reason to dread the news Lunafreya had delivered him not so long ago. 

“It’s true then, that Lady Lunafreya and Prince Noctis of Lucis are to be wed?”

Ravus grew suspicious of this woman and how quickly she was able to discern his thoughts. He studied her closer and saw that there were strands of silver tucked with the original hue of her hair that was tied into a bun and permitted a few loose pieces twisting down her back. Underneath those locks were small cosmetic wings, only a foot wide in length and made with black feathers dusted with glitter. His eyes trailed up until he saw her eyes, and the horns of her mask that curled back against her hair. 

“Like it?” She adjusted her mask. “I would offer to find you one, but it would be a shame to cover such a pretty face.” 

The Prince of Tenebrae knew naught of this festival besides the fact this was one to honor the gods. But he at least knew the name: Carnivalé. Where men, women, and children wore masks depicting beasts or mythical creatures and they could forget what they looked like for a day. Even this woman before him wore one, but he did not know which beast she depicted and concealed herself with- though he had a feeling that whatever beast lay atop her features, masking it, also hid a beauty underneath. 

He braved a question, feeling almost foolish for doing so. “What manner of beast do you wear on your face?”

The woman’s lips, painted with the deepest red he’d seen, as if it were struck ichor from the vein of some old god, twisted into a small smile. “Bahamut.” 

This made the prince raise his eyebrows in surprise. Bahamut used to be the name that any human would be too fearful to utter, but now whenever that name was mentioned, it was out of disdain. What was once considered king of the gods was now seen as a usurper, a false ruler on a throne of crystal. As for the one that gained the throne from him, they dubbed her 'Kingslayer'. “Would that not be considered heresy?”

She shrugged. “Who’s to say?”

Wrapping an arm around his, she pulled him away from an approaching crowd and Ravus felt the strength in that subtle action as she did. “Do you drink, Highness? Or shall I be drinking alone?”

Two steel chalices made it into her hands from a nearby platter and she passed one to him. Inside, liquid sloshed that was the same color as her lips. He peered down at the cup, the maroon shade reflecting off his coat. It was then that she laughed. “It’s not poisoned, dear. What motive would I have to kill my dance partner?”

When he didn’t make any move to drink, she sighed and retrieved the chalice and poured some of its contents into hers. “There. If we’re to die, then we die together. Cheers.”

Raising the cup to her lips, he did the same and was instantaneously hit with the bitter notes of pomegranate. Soon after, he tasted something that soothed the sting the fruit left behind, his tongue being shushed with the sweetness of honey. Moments after he finished his drink, he noticed that she had already finished hers and went for another before the last drop emptied into his lips. 

“Refreshing, isn’t it? They did well this year. Now, do you care to dance?”

The only dance partners Ravus ever had in his life were Lunafreya and his mother, the Queen Sylva. In all honesty, he would be concerned that his feet would mangle with hers and send their night running away to the hills in embarrassment. Nonetheless, he took her hand and followed her. Winding stairs laden with petals plucked from a rose stretched before them, causing her to pinch the front of her dress to avoid stepping on the silver dust and rose petals that parted and fell at his feet as he was led upwards. Waiting for them at the top was a domed rotunda with twelve identical columns wrapped with wreaths of golden leaves. There were candles lit hung on mantles and some on the floor, with fresh wax dripping below and granting the stone a miniature terrain of ivory hills and mountains. 

Once she had led them to the middle, she twirled around and extended her hand to him. “May I have this dance, my prince?”

Maybe just for tonight, he would allow himself to do such a frivolous activity. Tucking his hand into hers, he inched closer to place his other on the curve of her waist. From beneath the mask, she smiled and waited. “Will you take the first step, or shall I?”

“The waltz is something I’m not too familiar with,” he admitted. “I’ve no time for things like these.”

“But you were a commander. A fighter. A dance is similar to a duel. Now what do you do if I do this?” She took a step forward and grinned when he took one back in respective motion. “Very good, Your Highness! We’ll make you a dancer yet before the night is over.”

Ravus found that the waltz was indeed similar in terms of a close-quartered duel. Whenever she took a step forward, he took one back and whenever she took one back, he stepped forward. Repeating these sets of movements, they glided across the veined marble with as much grace as two birds in flight. Their steps were punctuated with the occasional pop of a firework that showered its iridescent light between the columns and onto their bodies. His confidence grew as they continued, even going so far as to dip her and as she arched her head back, he saw her neck become exposed to him and revealing a golden locket that he had seen somewhere before. At the moment he couldn't put his finger on it, but it sat there biting at the edge of his mind and almost threatened to drive him irate. 

The more time he spent with this woman, the more he realized that her presence alone didn't seem to give off the same mundane aura as anyone else. Even in their second-long touches as her fingers grazed over the parts of his gloves that exposed his skin, he felt something hum from her fingertips. Something magical and powerful that sent goosebumps over his body. She seemed to notice the effect she had on him and every time she did, she did that all too familiar mischievous smile that he found himself getting accustomed to. It was as if they both knew a secret, but only she remembered what it was. 

Taking her hand, he twirled her and saw the ends of her dress twirl and kicked up glitter. The tiny particles were sent flying upwards before descending back onto her like stars coming home. She gave him an approving nod and motioned to the parapet that overlooked the plaza below. Together they situated themselves comfortably, her sitting on the balcony edge and him standing next to the column with his always immaculate posture. One glance at her almost made him pull her back from the ledge as she dangled there dangerously, but seeing as she was comfortable with the idea of nearly tipping over and down the building..he supposed he should get used to it as best he could. 

More fireworks went off, blooming in the skies like an evanescent garden of varying colors and shapes. Soon some went off that depicted the Six and Ravus identified each one without fail. Even the last one. “The Goddess of War is never shown with her face. It’s always concealed.”

The woman in black eyed him. “Have you seen her before? This goddess?”

“I..” Ravus trailed off, thinking of memories he’d hidden away in the past as he didn’t want to come to terms with it just yet. “Before, yes.” 

“What was she like?”

“Young. And lost. And scared.” He remembered how he was first notified of someone entering the grounds of their mansion without permission and when he rushed to find them, he only found an unconscious woman. “Before she became a god, that was when I first knew of her. She came to House Nox Fleuret not even knowing her name.”

She nodded slowly, encouraging him to continue. Ravus then remembered how that woman that fell into their garden came to, confused as to why she was there and how he, regrettably, was so guarded against her. Their interactions were ripe with clear disdain even after Lunafreya’s chastisement to be nicer to their guest. It was plain that he didn’t trust her. Only after she was whisked away in the night, did he regret his impudence. She was not deserving of it. 

“We met again soon after. This time she seemed to remember who she was, and she even divulged some of her past to me.” A few months later after she came to them to Fenestala Manor, they met at the train station in Tenebrae as he used it to go to Niflheim on Imperial business. They shared a cart and sat in silence before she decided to break the ice. “She told me of her father and her past. It is not mine to say as it is her affair alone.” He deigned to say that the story reminded him of his own mother and in turn made him sense a melancholy he hadn’t felt in ages. “Our ride was interrupted by a storm conjured up by the goddess of ice. It was there that she disembarked.”

“In the middle of a blizzard?” The woman laughed. “Unwise.”

“Indeed. But I believe she was there for a pact with the Glacian. She had no choice.”

“I see.”

“I hadn’t seen her after that. Only until she came to Altissia to make a pact with Leviathan.” 

“Goddess of the seas? Now that’s a nasty one,” she said with a freedom that shocked Ravus. Her heresy was something he felt like he needed to get used to just for the night. He was never a man for religion nor its traditions, even if he was of House Nox Fleuret, but after seeing the might of the Six take down Bahamut’s forces- he had a newfound respect for them. “It was after that the Sunless Days came, right?”

The Sunless Days. That was what some were calling the period of darkness where daemons and monsters alike had run rampant over the planet. Granted it only lasted for about a year, but it was enough time for a large portion of their population to be subjected to the shadows that enveloped their world. Since the sunlight was the only thing that successfully drove away those fiends without fail come morning, all those who were without protection merely waited in their homes for the daemons to disintegrate. But when the sun no longer shone on their lands, the attacks became relentless and most fled their lands in search of larger groups for safety. 

"Yes. Most fled to Insomnia, as did my sister and I."

“Well, well. A survivor. I’m assuming you partook in the war too?”

“It wasn’t much of a war,” answered Ravus. “More of a siege. Darkness was in every corner of the world, and we had no way to truly combat it.”

“But you did, in the end.”

He released a pensive sigh. “Yes. We did.”  _ No, that wasn’t right _ . “It was thanks to the one that we thought had deserted us. She came back after performing the Rite needed to ascend to godhood.” 

“That so? Interesting. This Rite.. Anyone can perform it?”

A wary glance was casted towards the woman. “No. Even if it was, I’m assured the means to perform the ritual was completely destroyed by her. No one can ever try to become a god again. She was the last.” 

“This woman, if I may be so bold to inquire, what do you think of her?” 

Ravus thought over it carefully, choosing what words and phrases he wanted before speaking. “She reminds me of my sister. Strong, capable..but alone.” 

“What makes you think so?”

“The last days as a human walking amongst us. There was a misery in her eyes that I would often seen within Lunafreya. The sort of weight they carried that they wouldn’t dare share with anyone else.”

“Why didn’t you talk to her?”

“The Prince and his retinue often sought her attention, along with those she’d brought from Midgar and Radiant Garden. They knew her long before I. It was not my place.” 

“Maybe she would have liked it if you talked to her.” 

Ravus was inclined to disagree, but stopped when he felt his throat feel more parched than usual. A dryness scratched at his flesh and he soon realized it was the cause from many words forming at his throat. He wasn’t used to talking this much and he was unsure if the reason was because of the wine or the company. 

“I heard the goddess had disappeared after the battle,” the woman carried on for him. “Left everyone behind in pursuit of something. I reckon right now she’s still searching.” 

It was true. He remembered receiving the news that their Lady had disappeared after the fight. She sheathed her sword, and left her friends behind. It had been a year since they had heard any news from her and he supposed she meant to vanish into the rowdy crowds that did their best to build up their homes once more. Like a ghost. There was a rumor that a winged figure would sometimes visit the Citadel of Insomnia to seek an audience with their king before withdrawing back into the night; when people asked King Regis if this rumor was true, the king simply denied it. To this day, no one knew what she looked like as another ridiculous allegation that involved shapeshifting worked itself into the mill- one that Ravus put no weight into. 

He searched the skies, as if the goddess would somehow appear against the billowing clouds. Even if she wasn’t here tonight, he figured she was out there somewhere, looking at the same sky as him. Then there came a pang. A pin-prick hit that felt like loneliness had injected itself into the pit of his stomach. Stretching, curling, and writhing within him like a worm. 

“Are you alright, Ravus?” The woman was close now, her eyes searching his face as he composed himself. 

“It is nothing.”

The woman pursed her lips. “It seems like you’re here for the same reason, if I may say so. You seem to be searching for something still, your happiness perhaps.” 

This might’ve been true. As a child, he’d known what he had wanted. Even after the tragic death of his mother, he knew he had to find a way to reach the top, even if it meant sacrificing his dignity to do it. He had done horrible things, even whored himself out to the very people who assassinated his mother in the first place. He told himself he had done this to protect Lunafreya, but even when he served them faithfully, they chained down and abused the Oracle even when she was but a child. There was nothing more he could do now as Lunafreya no longer needed her older brother to protect her as she was freed from the gods’ bondage. It was painful to admit, but he now had to search for a new purpose- one without her.

Ravus felt as if she struck a blow, so he parried and countered. “Then why are you here?”

“I’ve told you. Merely to observe. To watch.” She took a deep breath. “I want to find something worth the journey.” Her fingers trailed across the stone parapet, stopping when she saw a loose mask laying there with no face to accompany it. Picking it up, she held it in both hands and took a deep breath. “I will be walking this planet for a while, I want to see things that make things more bearable.”

“Have you found that yet?”

“Have you?”

Pushing herself off the parapet, she approached him and he slowly turned to meet her. Their eyes both caught the lighting of the moon and he felt as if she were studying him intently. At last she smiled. “Close your eyes.” It was said so simply, yet he felt as if he was being entreated with a dire need. As his eyes shut and his world turned dark, he felt her get even closer. 

Something covered his entire face and he soon felt the cool material of a mask hover over his nose, accompanied by the warm hands of the woman he danced with. Even though he closed his eyes and was already plunged into darkness, the mask added another level of secrecy he couldn’t stand to stay in a minute longer. But her instructions were clear and he did as he was told, just for tonight. The material was surprisingly thin for such a solid looking thing, and through it, he felt her fingers touch his face lightly. 

Then, all of a sudden, he felt her lips against his. 

Through the mask, the touch was muted and subdued. But it was there, and he could still feel it. Her lips were soft and plush, surely leaving a crimson stain on the material. Had it not been there, he would have that color painted on the paleness of his own skin. Like a bruised flower blooming in the night. 

“Keep your eyes closed, Ravus,” she whispered against his lips with wine-flavored words. “Don’t open them.”

Ravus had an urge to wrap his arm around her. Securing her in one place so that he may divulge in her secrets. “Who are you?”

“Do you really wish to know?”

“..Yes.”

“Then I’ll tell you this: think over our conversation this evening. You should already know, considering we’ve talked over such private things.” Her lips left his and he felt the cold air rush to replace it. A part of him missed the touch already. “After all- what better way to divulge one’s secrets than by giving them to a complete stranger?”

Ravus’ breath caught in his throat. He had heard those words once, long ago. On a train that boarded him with a young woman looking to make a pact with the Glacian. How could he have not realized it sooner? 

His eyes were wide open, searching, looking for  _ her, _ but saw no one there. Instead there lay a mask on the balcony edge with a likeness to Bahamut. Picking it up, he turned it over in his hand and studied the make until he heard commotion from below. 

“Look! It’s the goddess!!”

The silhouette of a winged figure blocked out a portion of the moon. With four wings, they showered a helping of snow onto the onlookers before lifting off higher, up and up until the figure became a speck as small as the stars dotting the sky. Ravus gripped the mask, holding it up to his chest as he stared where he had last seen her crystalline gaze upon him.

*******

One year later, the streets were once again filled with people donning masks of all kinds. Though once again there stood one amongst them that had his face uncovered. A man in a white suit bearing the symbol of the House of Nox Fleuret walked through the dressed crowds and dancing couples; his tall figure easily towering over most as he marched straight past the dancers and interested parties and towards a set of stairs. As he ascended, he noticed that instead of roses, there were the petals of white alstroemeria lilies scattered about; every single one of them glowing and acting as lights that guided him. 

More petals whisked by his face as he got closer to the peak, and when he was at the last step on top, he found that for the first time in months- he relaxed. 

The woman in black waited for him, sitting on the parapet and letting the soft light of the moon wash over her bared shoulders. Her face turned to him as he approached and her grin widened, still wearing that same shade of ichor on her lips. 

“My Prince,” she greeted him. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” She stared at him with a mask that depicted something else. It was neither beast nor man and had the appearance of a silver horned helmet with twin horns curling back across her head. This one wasn’t the same as the one before, the one she wore of Bahamut. Though he had a mind to guess which god she depicted right now. 

“Have you found what you were looking for?” he asked as he reached forward to slip the mask off her face. “My goddess?” 

Lady’s hair fell to border her face, pleased that she was free of the mask’s constraints. “I could ask the same of you.”

Ravus leaned in, taking her waist and pulling her closer to plant a kiss on her lips. Her hand rested on his chest, feeling the man’s heartbeat as she no longer had her own. But if she did, she assumed it’d be racing by now. It was a while before their lips parted, though their touch never let the other go. For once in his life, Ravus felt as if he’d found something worthy to pursue. Something he would do for himself. 

“I believe I have.” 


End file.
